Rakshit Shetty on 777 Charlie: 'It is definitely a departure from my previous larger-than-life, fantasy adventure films'

From thrillers to fantasy, Rakshit Shetty is someone who surprises the audience with every release. Shetty is also credited for starting a new brand of cinema in the Kannada film world as an actor, producer and director. In his latest film 777 Charlie, directed by Kiranraj K, he plays Dharma, an introvert, whose life changes 180 degrees thanks to a dog named Charlie.

In an interview with Firstpost, Rakshit Shetty talks about the film, pets and more.

777 Charlie is a marked departure from your previous films; a different genre. Was this a conscious decision?

Yes, very much. That’s the reason why I wanted to do this film and accepted it while I was shooting for Avane Srimannarayana. I wanted to do a film that’s highly relatable to the audience after that larger-than-life, fantasy adventure film. The script by Kiranraj K for 777 Charlie was great and I didn’t have to think twice!

Are you a pet lover?

I love animals and when I was a kid I had two pets but they passed away. I never had a pet after that because I moved to the hostel and at that time I used to feed the dogs in front of the bakery. But I was not someone who would consciously go around trying to look for dogs to feed. Working in this film brought back that close intimacy that I used to have with dogs as a child.

Charlie has been seen with you in promotions for the film.

Charlie was adopted when she was four years old and lives in Mysuru in a huge place where she’s free to run and play. I love big dogs and they can’t be confined in small apartments. I am building a house now in Bengaluru and once it’s completed, then I’d want to have at least four dogs! (Smiles)

What attracted you to the role of Dharma? Could you relate to someone who is an introvert, a loner and not social?

I have been an introvert since I was young; I have a small group of friends and don’t interact much with people beyond them. This is how I’ve been all my life. Dharma is even worse in this sense - he doesn’t even talk to his neighbours’.

The character’s external journey and internal journey - the changes that he goes through by the end of the film, were very interesting.

The idea that a dog comes into his life and brings those changes in him - an introvert who can relate to emotions by the end of the film - I think was something which I liked the most when I heard the script. I like acting because I get to go through some emotions but I am detached from it. Given that Dharma and I are both introverts, I wanted to see if I also go through those internal changes if I play him.

So did you also go through those internal changes like Dharma?

If I have experienced that character throughout the film, then the changes that he goes through should also happen a little to me as an actor. So playing Dharma has definitely changed me. In fact, every film and role I play brings some change in me. I don’t do two or three films a year and my last two films have taken three years each to make. So I tend to live those characters. I could make out that my body language during the making of Avane Srimannarayana changed in real life to Narayana and now my body language has changed also. I think a small part of the character gets into me subconsciously and I carry it in real life as long as I am shooting for that film.

You’ve got people like Rana Dagubatti, Prithviraj and Karthik Subbaraj releasing 777 Charlie in various languages in the south which means they’ve obviously loved the film. Does it validate your conviction in doing this film?

When I completed this film, I was very sure that I wanted only a theatrical release. I was very confident about the film and since we had to wait for about a year and a half due to the pandemic, it made more sense to go pan-India as there is a market for this film. When we decided that we would go pan-India, the first decision I took was that if I liked this film and believed in it, then whoever comes on board should also believe in the product. I showed the film to a lot of people but I decided to collaborate with those who believed in this film and reacted to it as I did. I’m happy that the people who are associated with me on this film in every state believe that this film can do wonders.

Given that you believe 777 Charlie is a pan-India film and KGF: Chapter 2 has broken so many box office records, do you think Kannada films are finally getting their due?

I think we have just started and there’s a lot more to come for sure!

777 Charlie will release in cinemas on 10 June

Latha Srinivasan is a senior journalist based in Chennai. Her passion is entertainment, travel, and dogs.

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by Latha Srinivasan