Rishab Shetty: Hero has finally got its due

Hero, made by Rishab Shetty during the previous lockdown, which was released in theatres on March 5, is now streaming on ZEE5. Made under Rishab Shetty Films, the film marked the directorial debut of Bharath Raj M, and starred Ganavi Laxman as the female lead and Pramod Shetty as the antagonist.

Rishab says, “Hero, which was released alongside big-ticket movies, got a good response from the audience and also ran in theatres for 45 days. And now, we've got support from the digital platform. The work that was done during the last lockdown has finally got its due.”

Ask the actor-filmmaker what he’s upto during this lockdown, and he says there are no such plans to work on a film like last time. However, Rishab, who is in his hometown of Kundapur, is currently working on a new script. “The subject is such that it can go on floors anytime,” he says. Probe him a little further and he says, “I have got a beautiful line, something closely related to my hometown. It is still being developed. If everything is finalised, I plan to direct as well as play the lead. Right now, I am busy shaping the script, and have not thought about it further.”

Before the lockdown, Rishab was completing the shoot for Harikathe Alla Girikathe, and had four days of filming left. “If not for the lockdown, we would have now been working on post-production, but the pandemic messed the whole plan,” he says.

The film is made under the Sandesh Production banner and is executed by Rishab Shetty Films. There were speculations of the team working on releasing the film on an OTT platform. “We are yet to take a call,” says Rishab, adding, “Going forward, the Kannada industry will see a lot of rush. So, a direct OTT release is a good option, provided we get a good platform. If we can reach out to the right kind of people, and if the producer gets a decent profit, we will surely make a move. But right now, I am waiting to bring out the first copy.”

His next acting assignment was to be the Bell Bottom sequel, which was supposed to go on floors in June. However, the shooting of the Jayathirtha directorial might get pushed. “It is a film made on a big canvas, and we need to wait,” he says.

Sharing his opinion about the second wave of Covid-19, Rishab agrees that it is indeed harsher than the first. “We did not prepare for this and that is one of the reasons cases have increased. It is only those experiencing Covid-19 who understand the seriousness of this pandemic. For others, it doesn’t matter. And as a result, we are losing our loved ones,” he says.