Shivarajkumar: Drona addresses the misuse of freedom in certain schools

Shivarajkumar, who is known for wielding machetes with style, has opted to use a chalk piece this time. In his upcoming film, Drona, directed by Pramod Chakravarthy, Shivanna plays a government school teacher. Ahead of its release on March 6, the Century star says, “We generally say 'Pen is mightier than the sword', but one can do both good and bad with a pen. You can either opt to create a change or simply fake someone's signature. Drona talks about both sides. The character I play is very unique. He prefers to be perfect and neat in everything starting from his looks as he believes it will influence his surroundings.” 

While he plays a Physics teacher in the film, Shivanna's favourite subject back in school and college was Chemistry. The star gets nostalgic as he begins to recount his college days. He tells us that he enjoyed the subject as it has a lot of actions and reactions, which he feels is very close to reality. “Guess I foresaw that I'd be entering into films, and started liking Chemistry back then, as filmmakers feel it's essential for cinema,” he quips.

The title Drona is taken from Dronacharya in Mahabharatha. “War is something that is only between two groups, rivals or a gang of soldiers. War is something we face in our daily lives. Dronacharya or Guru Drona is a master of archery. The film discusses the importance of the craft among students. The director has also tried to recreate the actions of Drona at various instances in the film,” says Shivanna. “The subject debates the freedom provided to private schools in comparison to government schools. How freedom can be misused at times is what the film tries to highlight,” he adds.  

The Dolphin Media House production venture brings together director Pramod Chakravarthy and Shivaana for the second time after Sugreeva. “Pramod is a close friend of mine and we committed to working together again after Sugreeva. I insisted that he come up with a light-heart subject instead of an actioner, and he has done a sincere job with Drona. Now, it's the time for the audience to rate our film,” says the actor.

Drona, which has music by Ram Krish, features Iniya as the female lead, while Rangayana Raghu will be seen in a pivotal role.