I was inspired by the Tamil film, 96, to make Love Mocktail: Actor-director Krishna

The Tamil film, 96, made a big impact on many people, including actor-director Krishna, so much so that it inspired him to make Love Mocktail. “When I watched the film, I felt that it was not just cinema, but an experience, and a very realistic one,” Krishna tells Cinema Express, ahead of the film’s release on January 31. “The makers of 96 explored one love and one life. But there is the other lot, who are more common people, who have travelled with love, and not just with one. This is what I wanted to explore, and that’s when the thought of Love Mocktail came up,” he explains.

The film has created good buzz with its posters, teaser, and trailer, with the music by Raghu Dixit deserving a special mention. Krishna wants to come out in a fresh form with the film. “I want people to forget the old Krishna they have watched in my previous films. That’s why I was very careful about the kind of posters, songs, locations, story, scenes, and trailer I chose to bring out for Love Mocktail,” he says.

When Krishna wanted to become an actor, he needed a route to make an entry into films. “The best option was working as an assistant director, which eventually helped me learn the nuances of acting,” says the actor, who worked with director Suri on films like Jackie and Hudugaru, both made under Vajreshwari Combines. The experience he gained as an assistant director has now come in handy.

Talking about getting bitten by the directorial bug, he explains, “It is nothing but my hunger to be part of a good film. I waited for almost 4-5 years for someone to do a good film with me. I always got excited when I got a call from an unknown number, or from someone looking to discuss a good subject. But nothing worked out. There are so many good directors making wonderful films in Kannada, but unfortunately, nobody was approaching me. It was after Huccha 2 that I decided not to put myself into somebody else’s hands. I was waiting for that magic man to come and change my career prospects, but that didn’t happen. So I took up that responsibility.”

The process of making Love Mocktail was amazing, says Krishna, recalling a dialogue from a Shah Rukh Khan film. “The dialogue by SRK went something like, ‘If you have the passion and do something you like, then the entire universe will support you’. Initially, I thought it was just a dialogue, but it very much applied to my film. I got Milana Nagaraj on board, who is not only sharing screen space with me but also became a joint producer for Love Mocktail. We both sat and wrote the screenplay and dialogues, and the rest fell in place,” he says.

Love Mocktail is an emotion: Milana Nagaraj

Milana, who has entered the industry as an actor in Love Mocktail, took up production responsibilities by accident. “Turning producer was never in my mind. However, when I saw the first few rushes, I thought they were really good. That’s when Krishna discussed with me the idea of teaming up with him as a producer too, and I took it up as a challenge,” she says.

She never expected the journey to be so exciting. “I have often heard of the producer’s grief, and it is so. But if you have a product which is so beautiful, and everybody is appreciating it all over, it gives a different high altogether. As an actor, you have your own limitations, but when the whole product belongs to you, the feeling is different,” says Milana, who considers Love Mocktail as an emotion.

“The film, which is projected as youth-based, is a family subject, which will be revealed on the first-day first show,” she says.