Naganna: Kurukshetra will be a festival

Director Naganna feels that getting a chance to helm a mythological drama like Kurukshetra was a proud moment for him. “I feel elated to make a film in a genre that has become rare in cinema. I am equally proud that the film is the first epic drama to get a 3D version,” says Naganna, adding, “I thank producer Munirathna for the oppourtunity. He had watched my previous biographical war film, Sangolli Rayanna, and expressed faith in my capabilities to handle such a project.” 

Kurukshetra, which consists of an ensemble cast, is set to be released worldwide on August 9 in all the South Indian languages, followed by a Hindi release at a later date.

Naganna believes that the film will be a festival for the audience. “Kurukshetra is not just a film, it will be a festival for this generation. I grew up watching all kinds of cinema but I was always drawn towards the epic characters played by Dr Rajkumar and NT Rama Rao in Telugu. You can say those films are my driving force,” he says.

In Kurukshetra, the makers are retelling Mahabharatha from Duryodhana’s viewpoint, which is again a first-of-its-kind attempt in Kannada cinema. “Every character portrayed in Mahabharata has got its importance. The same Mahabharata can be told from the point of view of Krishna or Arjuna. But producer Munirathna felt that keeping Duryodhana centre stage would be interesting. Moreover, JK Bhairavi, who is well-versed in the epic, has written the story and screenplay of this film, which was later handed over to me by Munirathna,” the director says.

Naganna feels that shooting for Kurukshetra in both 2D and 3D, which took place for 200 days, was a mammoth task. “We had to put in double the effort as we shot both versions separately. Apart from the main artistes, we had to handle around 3,000 junior artistes. At one point, I lost count of whom I was interacting with.”

The filmmaker heaps praise on his producer. "Munirathna has given his heart and soul for the project. We initially wanted to do the film only in 2D, but it was his vision to make it in 3D. With Darshan as Duryodhana, and all the other stars on board, I assure viewers that Kurukshetra will be a visual treat," he signs off.