With the catchy line, “A day can change the course of your life…”, the Kannada film ‘A DATE’ held its first media meet, where four songs and the trailer were showcased. Promising a different approach in terms of story, narration and technical execution, the team revealed that the film unfolds over the course of a single day.
Produced under the Weekend Shorts Studios banner, ‘A DATE’ is slated for release on September 4. The fact that prestigious PVR INOX Pictures is distributing the film is another major strength for this first-time team.
Written and directed by Vimal Raj, the filmmaker comes with considerable experience in short films. Having made short films ranging from four minutes to 87 minutes, he earned more than seven million views for an English short film that served as a pilot. An IT professional by background, Vimal Raj has always been passionate about storytelling. Along with writing, he also learned editing.
An investor who noticed his work on YouTube initially came forward to support the film, but that association did not last long. Vimal Raj then rewrote his own short film and spent nearly six months developing it into a feature film.
He says that his wife, who hails from Delhi, was the inspiration behind the subject of the film. The story revolves around just three characters and comprises 18 scenes and 14 montages. The script underwent several rewrites before taking its final shape.
The film was shot across 55 locations over 60 days, with a crew of just four to six members. Interestingly, nearly 40 percent of the film was shot on mobile phones, making the project an interesting example of achieving a distinctive cinematic look with limited resources.
Once the film was completed, its poster itself created considerable buzz. The team then approached PVR INOX. After watching the film, the head of the PVR INOX group reportedly remained silent for nearly 40 seconds. He later remarked that the film was “not just for Gen Z” and described it as a “good hangover” — a compliment that Vimal Raj remembers fondly.
When asked about the value of PVR INOX’s publicity and promotional efforts for the film, Vimal Raj said it amounted to around ₹30 lakh in budget value. The PVR team also felt that the film works like a “slow poison”, gradually making an impact on the audience. The film is initially planned to release across 25 multiplex screens, according to the director.
Sujanith Shetty: From Comedian to Lead Actor – Known for playing a police officer in ‘Laughing Buddha’ and recently seen in the released film ‘Boss’, Sujanith Shetty makes his transition to a lead role with ‘A DATE’. In the film, he plays an IT professional who is also a traveler and a mischievous young man. “A DATE has a spectrum of emotions,” says Sujanith Shetty, describing his character and the film.
Ashwini Shenoy Makes Her Debut – Hailing from Mangaluru, Ashwini Shenoy makes her acting debut with ‘A DATE’. An engineering graduate, she plays Monisha, a girl from Delhi. “Even in real life, there are many people who resemble my character Monisha. This film was very challenging for me, and I gave it everything I could,” says Ashwini Shenoy.
A Bengaluru Boy and a Delhi Girl ‘A DATE’ tells the story of a Bengaluru boy and a Delhi girl, with the entire narrative unfolding within a single day. The film features four songs.
‘Bad Guy Anthem’ — the first song, ‘Nee Hattira Bandaga…’ — the third song , ‘Hrudayadolagiddu Mouna Eega Maatagide…’ — the fourth song – The previously released ‘Bad Guy Anthem’ has already attracted attention. The remaining songs and the trailer were showcased during the media meet.
The film has received a ‘16+’ certificate from the Regional Censor Board. The cinematography of the film has been handled by Bande Devendra Reddy. He says that the film presented several challenging and complex situations, which he worked through in constant discussions with director Vimal Raj.
Having previously worked on films including ‘Out of Syllabus’, Bande Devendra Reddy has approached the technical challenges of ‘A DATE’ in a distinctive manner.
Overall, rather than relying on a large star cast, ‘A DATE’ places its focus on storytelling, experimentation, technology and the creative use of limited resources. The film has already generated curiosity with its unique approach at its first media meet.
Now, all eyes are on September 4, when audiences will discover how this intriguing one-day story unfolds on the big screen.
