777 Charlie Actor Rakshit Shetty Looks Up to Aamir Khan|Exclusive: 777 Charlie, the Kannada adventure drama film has created enough buzz among pet lovers with its heart-melting trailer in various regional languages. 777 Charlie has garnered over 20 plus million views with its Kannada trailer and more than 28 million views with the Hindi dubbed trailer. Rakshit Shetty, the lead actor and producer of 777 Charlie, is on a promotional tour for his film that released on June 10, 2022. He recently spoke to India.com and elaborated on his experience of working with a dog.
After the success of KGF: Chapter 1 and 2 that became the biggest blockbuster in Sandalwood and the tremendous success of South films at the Hindi speaking belt, do you feel any pressure in terms of the box office expectations from 777 Charlie?
The reason we are releasing the film throughout the country is because there’s a market. Dog lovers are everywhere, and we want to reach out to them and explore the market. Otherwise, there is no pressure as such because till now most South films that have released in the North belt have had commercial aspect to them. 777 Charlie is a different genre. So, for me giving it a try is the first step forward. If it works out, then it’s ok otherwise probably the next time. But there always should be a start.
Four legged companions are said to be sensitive to emotions and they reciprocate in their own way. As a co-actor how challenging was it to bring out the vulnerable side of Charlie in emotionally demanding scenes since, in the promo your chemistry with the dog looks quite convincing?
It was a big challenge because I used to get trained with Charlie even before the film went on floor. Before every schedule there used to be one or 2 weeks of training so that we shouldn’t take too much time while performing the scenes on sets. But still to get the right shot we had to take long time. There were times we used to take 30-40 to 60-70 takes also for just one shot in order to get the expression that the director wanted. Because of Charlie we shot for over 167 days, normally a film like Baahubali takes 200 days. For a film like ours shooting for such long schedules is not a small thing. A lot of time was spent to get the chemistry between me and Charlie.
Check out this still from 777 Charile:
777 Charlie Actor Rakshit Shetty Looks Upto Aamir Khan: ‘I Relate And Think Like Him’ | Exclusive (PC:Instagram/rakshitshetty)
Kiranraj K(Director) had been an AD in your films Ricky and Kirik Party. As an actor what qualities of him impressed you that you decided to back his directorial debut as a producer?
He was the most passionate and dedicated associate directors I had worked with. So, when he wanted to make a film, I knew he would give it his best shot. I was very sure about that. Once I read the script, I was confident about it and there was no doubt regarding his filmmaking abilities.
Your films are known for depicting Indian folklore and mythology. In the trailer there is reference to Dharmraj and Kaliyug. And your name is also Dharma in the movie. Is it meant to be a reference to Yuddhisthir’s journey towards heaven along with his companion dog?
Yes, during the final walk of Pandavas to the heaven only Yuddhisthira reaches Swarga Loka, rest of them including Draupadi die along the way. But Yuddhistira reaches heaven with his dog, and he does not go to heaven without the dog, that’s why he is called Dharmaraj. Similarly, in 777 Charlie also the journey is somehow similar but it’s quite the opposite. Here the dog teaches Dharma about life. Though, Dharma is not going to heaven but if you watch the film, it will seem very close to heaven. So, using the mythological aspect in most of my films is a conscious decision as mythology is one of my favourite themes. This time Kiranraj used this aspect as he has been working with me since a long time and I have done the same in my previous films. I believe he also probably thinks the same way.
In the trailer we see as Charlie enters your house, you are watching Steven Spielberg’s ET on television. Since, ET was also an emotional story of an unusual friendship, as an artist and cinema lover how much influence that movie has had on you?
Obviously, the director relates to it. I think ET has had a major influence on him for writing this film for sure. So maybe that’s why he included that scene in our film.
In the pandemic we have witnessed people abandoning their pets. Do you think 777 Charlie would change the people’s perception and make them more sensitive towards animals in general as well?
If those who have abandoned their pets watch this film, they’ll cry 10 times more.
Check out this post shared by Rakshit Shetty on his Instagram handle:
Is there any Bollywood actor or filmmaker of the contemporary times that you enjoy watching as an artist?
Aamir Khan is one guy that I always look up to. I relate to him a lot because he is also a writer, filmmaker and actor. He gives his best in every new film which is unique among the rest of Bollywood films. I normally also think like him in many ways. When it comes to acting, I believe in giving my 100% and I don’t mind taking 2-3 years to complete a film. Therefore, there are a lot of similarities between me and Aamir, so I always look forward to his work.
You’re an actor, filmmaker and scriptwriter. Among these what do you enjoy the most as a creative person?
I enjoy directing the most. Because, at that time it is completely your baby. When the final product is showcased on-screen and the kind of response it gets from the audience is just marvelous. That only happens when you have directed a film.
Is there any dream role of yours from a book or of a real-life individual that’s in your wish list?
As of now there’s no such character where I have read a book and I get inspired to portray it. But there is a subject which I’m scripting myself and to play that character is the dream role for me at present. The narrative and the role are my own idea that I plan to play in near future.
Do you have any plans to work in Bollywood films as well, if given an opportunity?
I don’t have any plans at present. Because I already have a line-up of Kannada films and I need to finish them. But today everything is going global, so I don’t have to act in Bollywood films in order to reach out to the Hindi speaking audience. I can do a Kannada film and bring it in the Hindi speaking belt if there’s a market for that film. But once I finish my current projects and if I get to play a character in a Hindi movie which is worth it then I would consider it.
For more updates on 777 Charlie and Rakshit Shetty, check out this space at India.com.
