Latest news with #Dhiraj
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Kapata Nataka Sutradhari' trailer: Dhiraj MV and team promise a relevant religious satire
Kannada film Kapata Nataka Sutradhari is set to hit the screens on July 04, 2025. Written and directed by Dhiraj MV, the film is a religious satire. The film's trailer, which dropped on June 19, 2025, gained praise for its fresh treatment of a hot topic in today's India. The trailer shows a temple, in which devotees diligently follow the practice of crawling under an elephant idol. It is believed that prayers of those who follow this custom will be answered. One day, all hell breaks loose when an overweight boy gets stuck below the idol, and it is revealed that he is a Muslim. The trailer then showcases the confusion and chaos around the incident in a humorous manner. 'The agenda of the film is not to offend any community. What happens if a small incident gets a religious angle? I wanted to explore this idea,' Dhiraj says. The teaser begins with the quote, 'Left blames right. Right blames left. Nothing moves forward.' Kapata Nataka Sutradhari seems to touch themes such as the effect of political ideologies on society, patriarchy and gender. The debutant filmmaker adds that he sent drafts of his script to senior journalists and people from the film fraternity as part of his research. ALSO READ:'X&Y' movie review: Satya Prakash's human drama is an audacious attempt 'We didn't want to provoke people who believe in any particular ideology. I was handling a sensitive topic, and I had to convince my team members that I can execute my idea. That was one of the major challenges,' explains Dhiraj. Having assisted filmmakers such as Guruprasad and Sunil Kumar Desai, Dhiraj always aimed to make a relatable yet entertaining movie. 'I identify myself as a frustrated film buff. Most of the time, I cannot relate to what I see on the screen. So, when I was directing a film, I wanted to pick a relatable topic and convey it in an engaging manner.'
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
My commitment to the character led me to gain over 45kg for the film: Dhiraj MV
Filmmaker Dhiraj MV is all set for the release of his new Kannada movie , Kapatanataka Sutradhari , a political satire . He came up with the story in 2022, but it is only hitting the big screen next month because he took on a key role himself. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'The movie's poster is of an obese man getting stuck under an elephant. Initially, I looked for someone who could play the role, but then I decided that it would be better if I did it myself.' The actor explains that he transitioned from being fit to gaining over 45 kg for the role over the next few years. 'I initially considered wearing a body suit to change my appearance, but I felt it would not look natural. So, I reached out to my trainer and asked him if he could help me put on weight, but in the right way so that it would be easier to lose it, once I'm done with the movie,' Dhiraj tells us. 'ONCE I CROSSED THE 100 KG MARK, I WAS ANXIOUS THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LOSE THE WEIGHT' The actor notes that there were anxieties about reversing this weight gain. He says, 'There was a point in time when I worried about getting back to my ideal weight after the movie was done. Once I crossed the 100 kg mark, I expressed my concerns to my trainer, and we tried shedding some weight, just to see if it could be done. Now, I am working out to shed all the excess weight I've gained, and it's working out well, so far.' I want to break conventional stereotypes when it comes to storytelling. An important character in a movie need not always be someone with a six-pack Dhiraj
New Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Dhiraj MV: Kapata Nataka Sutradhari will be India's first new-age political satire
'Yes, we've had political satires in Indian cinema before but none that are rooted in new-age ideology—none that aim to decode political fabrication through the lens of contemporary philosophy, satire, and deep social awareness,' says Dhiraj. Saying that the term 'new-age' isn't just about being modern or trendy, Dhiraj shares that it stems from a deeper philosophical movement born in the West during the 1970s—one that challenged systems, identity politics, and spiritual dogmas. In Kapata Nataka Sutradhari, Dhiraj hopes to draw on that ideological spirit to examine prejudices, social inequality, and manipulation, all through sharp, allegorical storytelling. Shot over a single 55-day schedule without a break, the film traverses unique and historic landscapes—from ancient temples and forts to dense forests across North Karnataka. 'We didn't want artificial sets,' says Dhiraj. 'We wanted our locations to speak—to echo the timelessness of the themes we're tackling.' The cast features over 100 theatre-trained actors, each chosen for their ability to breathe truth into layered, symbolic roles. "It's not just about what's being said—it's about what's being implied, what's being masked, what the audience is encouraged to question,' Dhiraj explains. 'This is a film that asks you not just to watch, but to rethink.'
