‘Saheba has won over my sis, that is enough for me’

The team behind Saheba is relieved that the Animal Welfare Board has finally given them a green signal and issued an NOC certificate. The film is Manoranjan Ravichandran’s debut and will now been sent to the censors. Manoranjan has asked his father and actor Ravichandran to not watch any screening, till the first-day-first-show along with him. Meanwhile, one of the first ones to watch Saheba were his brother Vikram and sister Geethanjali.

Manoranjan, who was keen on knowing what the reception would be, asked his siblings for an opinion and he is happy with the feedback. “My sister is a very big critic,” he says. “The first time she watched a song of mine she said that I looked very conscious of the camera. Then she saw the whole movie and said that I have done a good job, and I hold that in high regard because she is very selective about what she watches. Her liking Saheba is a point scored.”

The young actor says that Vikram loved it. “He was happy that I am finally coming on screen,” says Manoranjan. “He is yet to give his verdict and plans to do that on the day of the release. He said he will write it and give it to me.”

Vikram, too, is making an entry into tinsel town with Nagashekar’s directorial, a film that has been discussed at their home extensively. “We have been speaking cinema over the last two years,” says Manoranjan. “Vikram is a friend as well as a brother, and professionally too we bond very well. He listens to my stories and I listen to his subjects. In fact, I heard the story of his debut project. Vikram, according to me, is a technician by birth, like my dad,” he says, and adds that their father let them make the final decision about working on the films.

As for Saheba coming to theatres, the debutant has left it to producer Jayanna. “He is confident about our product. So the director Bharat and I have asked to him pick the release date,” he says.

The film, also featuring actress Shanvi Srivastava in the lead, has music by V Harikrishna.