Why this actress will never make a film with violence in it

Turning producer has been a long-time dream for Kannada actress Bhavana, which is finally being realized with the release of her debut production,

Niruttara

, this week. The film, directed by

Apurva Kasaravalli

, stars the actress, along with Kiran Srinivas, Rahul Bose and Aindrita Ray in the lead. Initially, though, the plan was for Bhavana to fill in only as producer, but as the script took shape, there was a character that the entire team thought was just apt for her.

'My brother, Aravind, and I started our own banner with the aim to make films, but we realized that we did not have the necessary experience, so we started off by producing thematic concerts across the country. Over time, we got the confidence to start a film, but were still at sea, as we didn't have the right script to get started. The stories that came our way were nothing out of the ordinary and that's when I called my friend, Vikram Hathwar, and asked him if he could write a story for a movie. One thing we were sure of is that we did not want elements of violence or gore in a film that we produce. I was keen on a story that had a fair deal of emotions and music, and, accordingly, Vikram came up with a synopsis for the film, which was then fleshed out into the script for Niruttara,' explains Bhavana, adding, 'It was Vikram's idea to have a character for me in the film and the role he came up with seemed so interesting that I had to do it.'

The next step was to get a director and music composer on board, and Apurva and Niladri Kumar were the only names Bhavana could think of. 'When we approached him for our film, Apurva was busy with his own script and trying to get it on the road, so he did not jump at the offer immediately. In fact, he reverted 3-4 days later confirming that he would direct the film for us,' she says.



'Niladri is a good friend, and was more than keen to be a part of the project,' Bhavana says. Casting for the other roles brought Kiran back to Kannada cinema after a few years and marked Rahul Bose's debut in the industry, all of which the actress says was done purely in keeping with the needs of the script and the characters.

As for the film itself, Bhavana is very proud of her first home production. Her role, she says, has multiple dimensions, but what fascinated her the most is that she was playing an independent woman, who is on a quest, seeking something for herself. She is also looking at protecting herself and her needs. She is also lost a little bit, because she is married. In the course of the story, there are certain emotions and relationships, and the challenges that come with the decisions she has to take says the actress, adding, 'More than delving into who she is in a relationship with, we explore how she is treated and what she wants out of a relationship. It is an empowering character.'

Balancing her roles as actor and producer, meanwhile, was often challenging for Bhavana. 'Since we were shooting at a stretch, and travelling between states, often, Aravind would have to go ahead of us to keep everything ready at the next location, while I had to handle end-to-end production back where we were still shooting. As an artiste, you never have to get involved with the back-end of filmmaking and you just do your job and come away. With Niruttara, I had to have my finger on everything. If breakfast was not served on time, a generator conked or location permits had to be sought, I had to attend to everything and that puts pressure on you. More so because you understand you are losing out on time and money. But we managed and are happy with how the film has turned out. Now it is up to audiences to sample it and hopefully they like it,' she signs off.