Three-film-old actor Suraj Gowda is set to foray into direction with his fourth film, Ninna Sanihake. The model-turned-hero, who made his debut with Maduveya Mamatheya Kareyole, will start his directing career with this romantic drama. “I want to ask “why not?” every time I am given challenges, and I want to do it. So when producers made this offer, I thought it was right, and grabbed the opportunity,” says Suraj, whose debut directorial film will be released on October 8.
Ask him what he brings to the table as a director, Suraj says, “I am someone who always showed interest in different aspects of cinema, which includes editing, cinematography, etc... Understanding cinema is a director’s medium, I had this quest for knowledge and tried to make myself a better actor by learning the craft. That’s how it started, and it paid off.” He adds,
“Moreover, I had the privilege to learn from directors whom I have previously worked with. They indulged my interests in every department of filmmaking and allowed me to get educated in every aspect of cinema. I believe cinema is a complicated art, and it is difficult to just watch films and direct. We need to be technically aware of how we should go about it. Though the opportunity to direct was a surprise, I didn’t consider it as ‘experimenting’. I was prepared.”
Suraj is also writing the story and screenplay of Ninna Sanihake and says that getting to write the film was one of the main reasons he got around to direct the film. “I prioritise writer and director before an actor,’’ says Suraj, adding,
“I have been a storyteller since my childhood, and like to develop whatever is happening around me. This is again something that was not planned. But then, I was not getting the films I wanted to be part of. That’s when I thought I should write my own. I began with Ninna Sanihake and I have written two more scripts.”
On picking up a subject on live-in relationships for Ninna Sanihake, Suraj says, “Though romcom is a very common genre, I wanted to give the audience something fresh. Though live-in relationships are legal. it is still taboo.
I wanted to have a comical take on this subject, and show how love is perceived in this era,” says Suraj who told us that he enjoyed the post-production process of the film. Ninna Sanihake marks the acting debut of Dhanya Ramkumar, and according to Suraj, the team needed a fresh face, and she fit the bill. “Ninna Sanihake has music by Raghu Dixit, which is also one of the highlights,” says the debutant director.