Rangamandira is being shot at Kanteerava Studios. We reach by 3 pm, which is break time. Most actors are sipping hot tea in plastic glasses, while some wait in their make up vans for their shots .
Meanwhile a dingy room, is being set up for a murder scene. Veteran actor Avinash is supposed to watch a man hang from a fan. An actor climbs a ladder and hangs on to a hook in the ceiling. His legs are to shake and jerk to indicate his dying struggles. The camera first zooms in on the twitching legs and then zooms in on Avinash’s face sporting a sinister smile as he watches the man die.
The scene does not go as planned with the man on the ceiling struggling for balance. A short break is given to rest his hands.
The director, Shahuraj Shinde, calls for the shot and everything works out perfectly. The camera captures Avinash’s expressions as the man struggles for his life. Avinash waits, makes sure the man is dead and leaves the room. Shinde smiles as he looks at the monitor and calls cut.
After another short break, the same room is converted into an interrogation room. We catch up with Avinash, who says he “loves acting with youngsters as that keeps him in sync with what is new in the film world. About his character, in Rangamandira , he says, “I play an aspiring politician, and the man who is hanged is one who creates hurdles in my path.”
The antagonist
Ashu Bedra, who plays the lead in the film is getting ready with his make up — a little blood on his face and cut on his chin. “I play a wayward boy, who does bad things. My character wiles away his time and is caught by the police. Now we will be shooting the interrogation scene. The character I portray is so smart that he starts hitting himself against the wall even before the police lay their hands on him and threatens to complain about the police manhandling him,” he explains. “I was caught by the police in the previous scene and the next one is a continuation shot in the interrogation room,” adds Ashu.
As we head back to the dingy room, we meet Thimmappa Kulal, who plays the Sub Inspector. Dressed in a crisp police uniform, he says, “I play a strict cop, who does not want any nuisance in his area. I will be the one hitting the hero and his gang.”
The interrogation
As the room is overcrowded, we stand out and listen. We hear Kulal deliver his dialogues with all his might, hear thumping and Ashu and others cry out in pain.
Calling the shots
Director Shahuraj explains Rangamanidra means “a stage, where everyone plays their part and leaves. It is a take on Shakespeare’s all the world is a stage, where each of us has a part to play. We may feel we are disconnected, but somewhere down the line, we are interlinked to one another. The film also has Ashika Ranganath, Anupama Gowda, Shruthi Prakash with Rangayana Raghu and Tabla Nani in pivotal roles. It is produced by Honaria Studios and has Saravanan as the DOP.
This is a monthly column that takes you behind the screen
