Suman Nagarkar: I believe Babru will change my life 

Suman Nagarkar is known as the Beladingala Baale of Kannada cinema because of her role in the Sunil Kumar Desai-directorial, co-starring Anant Nag. The actor, who later settled in the United States, is now making a comeback as a heroine after 15 years through Babru, directed by Sujay Ramaiah.

A line from the film’s trailer says, ‘Some journeys change destinies,’ and Suman hopes to see a change in her life because of this project. “It was Nagathihalli Chandrashekar who put me back in front of the camera. I had made a guest appearance in his last film, Ishtakamiya, and it was followed by Jeerjimbe. Babru puts me back in front of the camera in a full-fledged lead role. I've also produced the film,” says Suman, adding that she never planned to quit the industry.

“When I moved out of India and got busy in a new country, people thought I wouldn’t act, and somehow the gap got extended to 15 years. But now I'm back and I have also worked in a short film called Grey, also directed by Sujay Ramaiah,” she says.

Said to be a suspense thriller, the film's unique title, Babru, is apparently the name of a car. Suman calls the film a roller coaster ride. “An unavoidable circumstance brings two strangers together when they have to move a car from Mexico to Canada. What initially begins smoothly moves into a region of twists and turns,” explains the actor.

Babru, which has entirely been shot in the United States, is backed by non-resident Kannadigas, most of whom work in the IT industry. “Except for Sujay and me, the rest of them are IT professionals, who are passionate about films, and wanted to make something different for the Kannada audience. The shooting for this film was done in the evenings and during long weekends. People also took leave and participated in the shoot,” says Suman, adding, “From my personal experience, I have seen that a lot of things change for people when they travel and live abroad. You become much more flexible, open-minded, and it pushes you to do different things. That’s what brought me to Babru.”

The film, Suman’s first production venture, also features Mahi Hiremath. It has cinematography by Sumukha and music by Poonachandra Tejaswi. “Poorchandra, who is noted for his folkish tunes, has come up with a different album for Babru. We also have a Spanish song, which again will be a first in a Kannada film,” says Suman.