Creating heist-ory: MG Srinivas’s next stars Shivanna & Jayaram

Director MG Srinivas, popularly known for Birbal Trilogy and Old Monk, is now helming Shivarajkumar-starrer Ghost. Touted to be a one-of-a-kind heist thriller, the film will also see Malayalam actor Jayaram’s debut in Kannada.
With the first schedule completed, MG Srinivas reveals, “I am a huge fan of Shivanna. In fact, I am fan first, then a director (laughs). I know what fans expect out of him. I was planning for Birbal 2 when I got a call from producer Sandesh Nagraj who said they were on the lookout for a story for Shivanna. This heist thriller has been on my mind, but I had not developed it, completely. I took time, thought it out, and then narrated it to Shivanna. He liked it and within two days the film was announced. That is how Ghost became a reality. We later finalised the cast and crew.”
Working with Jayaram, sees Srinivas happy, “He is planned and prepared. He understands Kannada, and communicates well, and he was able to understand the emotions and intensity easily.”

The vibe on the sets when the two actors came together for the first time was electric too, “Bringing Shivanna and Jayaram together was a treat, and it has transformed well on screen. Half our job is done with great actors as they understand the pulse of a scene well! We had a major, intense scene planned on the first day of the shoot, and for this, we took time to understand and study their chemistry. Later, we sat together and observed the dialogues for a while, till the mood was right. And we got what we wanted in two shots! That’s the beauty about having actors of stature come together,” explains Srinivas.
Whether the focus is on Shivanna vs Jayaram, he adds, “All stories have a protagonist and antagonist. Yet, here, there is no villain as both characters have their virtues, have powerful roles. I can only say that Jayaram’s role will be in sharp contrast to Shivarajkumar’s role.”

Attempting a heist thriller
Writing this one-of-a-kind heist thriller script was challenging too, “Heist thrillers are a rarity in Kannada. Filmmakers rarely attempt them. The entire story takes place in just two days. That and the thriller element had to be right. I cannot use laser beams as no bank in India uses that technology. So, I had to work within the limits, and create a story. It is an action film too, which is expected as Shivanna is there. But the action is different. We had to strike a balance between fans’ expectations and keeping the novelty. We want people from all backgrounds to enjoy this film,” he adds.
Interestingly, the film has no female lead, as the story didn’t demand it, and, “Shivanna and other team members were in agreement.” The second schedule is likely to happen in Mysuru.

Prashanth Narayan’s Kannada debut in Ghost
Bollywood actor Prashanth Narayan, known for his portrayals in Murder 2 and other OTT series, will make his Kannada debut with Ghost. “Prashanth has performed well. The whole team applauded him on his performance,” Srinivas said.