PremiumExclusive! Rakshit Shetty reveals when to expect his next directorial, Richard Anthony
Richard Anthony marks Rakshit’s return to the director’s chair after Ulidavaru Kandanthe and is an exploration of his character from the latter.
Last Updated: 04.58 PM, Nov 16, 2023
Rakshit Shetty has been rearing to get cracking on his new directorial venture Richard Anthony for a while. He had announced it more than a year ago, as a Hombale Films production, but his acting commitments on 777 Charlie and Sapta Sagaradaache Ello kept pushing the actual start of Richard Anthony ahead. This week, with Sapta Sagaradaache Ello Side B in theatres, Rakshit will finally be free to let the director in him soar.
Speaking to OTTplay about why Rakshit the filmmaker took such a long time to re-emerge, he explained that he’s spent much of the last few years building his profile as an actor and ensuring that his production house, Paramvah Studios, which he envisioned as a platform for new talent in Kannada cinema, is on a firm footing. Now that his primary objectives have been met, he’s not only ready to return to direction, but has vowed that his next few projects will all be written and directed by him. Rakshit’s plan is to begin with Richard Anthony, which he will follow up with a two-part Punyakoti, and then, if the stars align, Midway to Moksha, a film that will also star Rishab Shetty and Raj B Shetty.
Building his profile as an actor could have been done with his directorials as well, right? “Yes, but if I were to focus on writing and directing, I would probably take two years to make one film. Right now, as an actor, I’ve had two releases in the same year,” he says. Does that mean that he will take two years on Richard Anthony? Are we looking at a tentative 2026 release? “I hope not; it should be earlier. 2025 for sure. It will take me at least a year-and-a-half to make it because it is being mounted on a big scale and a major step up for me too. Having said that, Richard Anthony’s scale is not about elevations only. It’s a fine balance of marrying mass with class,” says Rakshit.
In an earlier interaction with the media, the actor-filmmaker had said that he was yet to lock the final draft of Richard Anthony, but that he knows all the plot points that he wants to incorporate. His busy schedule in the last few months, though, have prevented him from putting pen to paper. Well, that issue should be solved now.