What happens when the “original monster” is not outside mankind, but within it? That question forms the starting point for Original Monster, R Chandru’s next film with Shivarajkumar. The film recently began production in Bengaluru with a traditional muhurat ceremony in the presence of producersUday K Mehta, BK Gangadhar and Shivanna's Geetha Shivarajkumar. The team also confirmed that the film will be made in Kannada and Hindi and released in multiple languages.
Set between the 1990s and 2000, Original Monster brings Shivarajkumar into a space combining strength, violence, money and the many sides of human nature. Chandru is also looking at a cast that extends beyond one industry, with actors from different regions expected to join the film. Major sets will be erected at HMT in Bengaluru.
For Shivarajkumar, the film is significant for another reason. It marks his Hindi debut, although the actor does not see the language as unfamiliar territory.
“Hindi was my second language, and it is an easy language, and a national language for us to connect with all kind of audiences,” he said. At the same time, he pointed out that there is more to Original Monster than its title might suggest.
“I am not saying this is a subject that has never come before. There is entertainment and there is a message,” he said, describing the film as being about strength and mankind and asking what happens when there is an original monster among human beings.
He is particularly excited about working with Telugu actor Sunil for the first time. “I like the way he has brought variety to his roles, and he is recognised for his hard work. Being a comedian actor, he suddenly got into a six-pack,” Shivarajkumar said.
He is particularly excited about working with Telugu actor Sunil for the first time. “I like the way he has brought variety to his roles, and he is recognised for his hard work. Being a comedian actor, he suddenly got into a six-pack,” points out Shivarajkumar, who also expresses confidence in Chandru’s ability to handle the emotional side of the material.
Shivarajkumar also spoke about the changing relationship between cinema and business. While he acknowledges that making money is part of filmmaking, he does not believe it should be the only measure of a film.
“There is a tendency to look at filmmaking only as business today. Making money is part of life, but money should not be the only criteria. Love and appreciation matter too. Films from Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu are travelling across states because audiences are accepting content. Pan-India cinema is not an obsession of Kannada cinema alone. Today, that option is available to everybody. Even during my father Dr Rajkumar’s time, films crossed language borders through dubbing and other means.”
That thought is particularly relevant to Chandru, who is making another multilingual film. Kabzaa gave the filmmaker experience in taking a film across languages and helped him build a distribution network. He says this has strengthened his ability to release upcoming films, including Father, in other languages. Producer Anand Pandit is also supporting his plans. With Shivarajkumar at the centre of Original Monster, Chandru says the responsibility is greater. He plans to bring performers from different regions into the film and is conscious of what audiences expect from the actor.
For Sunil, the association is less about scale and more about a personal connection. Watching Om inspired him while he was trying to become an actor. “So when I got an opportunity to work with Shivanna, I cannot express that happiness in words,” he says.
Shivarajkumar, meanwhile, has an interesting lineup. Bail is releasing on October 2, followed by Dad, and 666 Operation Dream Theatre. He also has the Tamil films, Jailer 2 and Picasso. He also wants to work with Chandru on Mylari 2. “I like juggling characters and switching between roles. But I want to first complete each film and work on the content."