I have not experimented hugely with Roberrt: Tharun Kishore Sudhir

The release of a Darshan-starrer is nothing short of a festival, and director Tharun Kishore Sudhir has enough reasons to celebrate his Roberrt. With tickets already sold out, the film is opening to housefull boards on March 11. Produced by Umapathy Films, Roberrt will be out in 656 theatres and 100 multiplexes with over 2,786 shows in Karnataka alone. The film is also coming out in Telugu in at least 433 theatres in Andhra Pradesh and 409 halls in Telangana. It will also be screened in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi.

Ahead of the big day, Tharun tells Cinema Express, “This is the moment that proves the saying, ‘There is always light at the end of darkness’. The pandemic had put us in darkness for almost a year, which is also coming to an end, and life is getting better. From the entertainment point of view, I call this a positive.” 

Ask the the two-film old director about the most difficult part of helming a big star film, and he replies, “Darshan as a star has done almost everything in his 50-plus movies, and bringing out content that isn’t in his previous films was a challenge. However, I have tried my best to bring in some newness with the scenes and the on-screen attitude. Darshan is a professional actor and respects his technicians. But bringing something different to the table for a star is very tough. As an actor, he has already set a benchmark, so we had to aim beyond that.”

Tharun was involved on the production end of cinema for a long time, and took his time to take up directing, making the foray only after he learnt the finer points of working as a creative head, and working behind the scenes. “Be it with films like Adhyaksha, Ranna or Gajakesari, I got good opportunities to explore my skills. When I got the confidence that I could handle the responsibilities, that’s when I took up direction with Chowka, and now with Roberrt,” he says.

Tharun has been twice lucky as he got to work with Darshan in Chowka as well as Roberrt. Does he feel that half the job is done by bringing in an actor of such a big stature? Tharun agrees. “All you need is a little effort on this base, and you will get a good leap, and that will be like icing on the cake,” he says. “When it comes to a newcomer, you start with zero, be it the story or any other aspect, and it is tough to reach people without enough publicity. When you have a star, all you need to concentrate on is good content,” he adds.

For Tharun, his job as a director begins at the writing stage. “That initial excitement and thought I had while writing Roberrt has not been mislaid, and remains intact in the final product,” he explains.

So does Roberrt follow a tried and tested commercial formula? “Yes, the pattern is tried and tested, but it’s said in a new way, especially for Darshan,” says Tharun, adding, “Today, we use the same mobile each time, but the features and software keep getting upgraded.”  

From what little has been revealed about the character played by Darshan, he will be seen in two shades in Roberrt. The storyline hints at a calm guy with a violent past. However, the team has not revealed much else. “It is always good to maintain suspense about the character, and questions like ‘what’ and ‘why’ attract people,” Tharun smiles.

Tharun and Darshan have been good friends, and over the years, their bond has only got stronger. So what was it about the Challenging Star that made him cast Darshan in the film? “His aura and his screen presence are very special. When you design a character for Darshan and bring him into the frame, he enhances the scenes and takes the film to the next level,” says Tharun.

Talking about the  high points of the film, he says, “I will not say that I have experimented hugely here. It is a proper high-voltage commercial film, blended with family drama and emotions. It is two-and-a-half hours of packed entertainment. ”