Rapper-turned-actor, and Bigg Boss Kannada 5 winner Chandan connects his own journey with Sujay Shasstry’s Elra Kaaleliyatte Kaala that explores life without clocks, blending humour, mystery and reflection in a rural setting.
For Chandan Shetty, time is not just a passing idea. It is something he has experienced closely, and it now reflects in the theme of his latest film, Elra Kaaleliyatte Kaala.
The winner of Bigg Boss Kannada 5, where life moved without clocks and routine had to be guessed, Chandan finds an unexpected connection to a story built around time. Blending humour, mystery and reflection, the film echoes his own journey, shaped by time, patience and belief.
“Every moment is important. I have learnt so much in a short span. What we think is beautiful is one thing, but I believe God has planned something even better. Right now, I just want to go with the flow and grow with the flow,” he says. The film’s premise mirrors that thought. Set in a rural landscape with no clocks and limited access to the outside world, with just one bus, it explores how people function when time is not measured in the usual way. “When we pull someone’s leg, there are always four people ready to pull ours. Time pulls our leg too. But we cannot pull time back,” he adds.
Directed by Sujay Shastry, the project excited Chandan even as it challenged him. “When he narrated the story, I was excited. But I also wondered if I could pull off a retro character from the 1980s. As a rapper, I was not sure how audiences would see me as an actor in such films. Workshops helped, and slowly I realised I could do it. I worked on my body language, even went to the extent of putting on weight. I realised there is so much to do for a film, and to be an actor.”
Though he had two other releases before this, Chandan says this film is special for him and his family. Asked about a moment he would want to pause in time, he recalls the success of his breakout rap, '3 Peg'. “The day it released, I was called for a show. When I stepped on stage, I felt like a star. That is one moment I would pause if I could.”
He also reveals that before entering films as an actor, he had visited the memorial of Dr Rajkumar, seeking blessings. “Today, it feels like more than coincidence that this film releases on April 24, his birth anniversary. That makes it very special.”
The cast also includes Archana Kottige, HG Dattatreya, Tara, Mandya Ramesh, Mahantesh Hiremath, Ananth Padmanabha and Manju Pavagada. With cinematography by Vishwajith Rao, the film has music by Praveen-Pradeep.
