The shooting of Ganesh-starrer Pinaka is underway at a brisk pace. A massive set spread across six acres has been erected near Nelamangala for the film. The set represents the kingdom of Devagiri from 500 years ago. A complete city has been built, with a statue of Ardhanarishwara placed at the center.
Filming has been ongoing at this location for the past 32 days and is expected to continue for another 15 days. As the set plays a significant role in the film, the team has kept its design confidential. Even when media personnel were invited to the set on Saturday evening, they were requested not to film or photograph it. Apart from the film crew and those directly involved, outsiders are not easily allowed entry. After introducing the constructed city to the media, director Dhananjay interacted with the crew.
“We have been shooting over the past month amidst rain, sun, and wind. Prior to this, set construction work was carried out for two months. The set has been created by Santosh Panchal and his team. Today, we filmed scenes that take place after a war. For the past month, 800 people have been working here every day. We are shooting here and sending the footage to Hyderabad, where graphics work is progressing continuously,” said the director.
Explaining the meaning of Pinaka as “a protector,” he said, “This is a film about a lineage of guardians. Nayan Sarika and Archana Iyer are playing the female leads. The film is scheduled for release next year. This is not a project that can be rushed. Each small scene is taking considerable time. I had earlier worked with Ganesh as a dance choreographer and share a good relationship with him. His cooperation for this film is significant. The producers have been involved in every step. This is not just my film—it is a team’s film.”
Vijaya, who is overseeing the production, said, “It was my brother Vishwaprasad’s wish to do a film with Ganesh. When it was decided that we would work with him, there was no story yet. We are now making a different kind of attempt, thinking about what kind of film should be done with Ganesh.”
She added that their production company operates on a factory model: “In the last seven years, our company has produced 50 films. Out of these, 43 have been released and seven more are getting ready for release. Twenty films are at various stages. We are planning to do films in Kannada with Shivanna, Dhruva Sarja, and Darshan.”
It is said that Ganesh insisted on casting Srinivasamurthy as the royal guru in this film. Speaking on this, Srinivasamurthy said, “After Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi, my bond with Ganesh has become strong. He said I must be a part of this film. This film is on a different level.”
Ganesh said that the producers approached the project with the intent to do something different. “They believed I could do this type of role and are making me do it. The producers have been involved in every scene. Just two days after the shoot began, producer Vijayamma was shouting. When I asked why, she said only 600 junior artists had shown up, while 800 were expected. Normally, people would be happy about saving money, but they were not. This set has reached this level because of them and director Dhananjay. They spent four to five months building the set. Dhananjay is making a big attempt in his very first film. Even I had doubts about whether he could pull it off. But he has delivered 100 percent. There are four cameras on the set every day. In 32 days, work equal to 64 days has been completed,” he said.
Speaking about his role, he said, “This is a role that gave me a lot of happiness. I believe that if I am happy, the audience will be happy too. This is a different kind of film. In my film career, this is a distinct project,” said Srinivasamurthy. “I will make complete efforts to make that a reality.”
Veteran actor Honnawalli Krishna, Ravindranath, and cinematographer Karam Chawla were present during the event.
