After Lucia, another Kannada crowd-funded film

The film industry has a long list of actors who faded from memory after a film or two. Santosh Kumar is one such man. His career as an actor died a quiet death after he played a small role in Sirivanta and then the lead in Hogi Baa Magale. With opportunities not coming his way, he went to work as a manager in a star hotel and did his MBA.
But the pull of the silver screen was too strong, and he wanted to return, but this time as a director.But stark reality was waiting to strike him. “All the producers I met wanted me to first get the dates of a star. I ap proached a few, but all of them cited busy schedules,“ says Santosh. Not surprisingly, none of the stars even heard his script.
Not to be cowed down, Santosh is going ahead by taking the crowdfunding route. He has named his film Students. It has a cast of newcomers.
“Pawan Kumar (of Lucia) was an inspiration. There was no other way we could have funded our venture,“ says Santosh. The cast of the film includes Dilip Pai (of Road Romeo fame), Nakul Govind and Bheeshma and Kiran. All the three leading ladies, Swathi, Kavya and Jayasheela, are newcomers. In the supporting cast, Santosh has veterans like Bhavya and Kashi.
“The film is about three youngsters who are in love with three celebrities; a film star, a politician and a sportswoman. But their dreams are beyond them. Circumstances force them and in a moment of Carpe diem they go back to college and the principal, played by Bhavya, changes their lives. The film is a humorous take on how the youth behave. As the three characters restart their lives, they realise the importance of living it to fullest,“ Santosh says.
The technical crew includes cinematographer Mathew Rajan, editor Murali Prasad and composer Edward Shah.