Praveen Tej moved from small screen to the big one playing a lover boy in Simpallag Innondh Love story. His next Churikatte has him holding a gun, and he says: “It’s like a lover boy turning into an angry young man, and the film shows how a mistake made in anger impacts the lives of people.”

Raghu Shivamogga picked the actor for the role also because he is from the Malnad region. Praveen says this was the best offer he got after Simpallag…. “I was looking to work with a good team, when I got this offer. Luckily, I started my career working with technicians who knew their job well,” says Praveen, adding that this helped him contribute more to the making of his second film.

“Raghu gave me that freedom. I could involve myself in pre-production stages of the film including writing dialogues, composing music and hunting for locations. Another advantage was that the whole film was shot where I was born and brought up, and I could help the team locate the best places to shoot,” he says.

The director had, in an earlier interview with CE, said that a pistol is crucial to the telling of this story. Praveen says that holding the weapon gave him a feeling of dread. “Initially, there was a thrill in holding the gun. Then, I realised that it was not in the frame to sensationalize the story but to tell it realistically. Of course, the gun scared me throughout the making of the film,” he says.

Praveen is all praise for Raghu. “He carried the whole film on his shoulders - from production to direction, he ensured that the whole project was well planned out and he did all of that without stressing out. So credit for the film must largely go to him. I am confident that Churikatte will fetch me good films in future, and I will gather more fans. This will definitely be a boost for my career,” he says.