Samarjit Lankesh
, son of director
Indrajit Lankesh
and grandson of writer-filmmaker P Lankesh, is set to make his
Kannada cinema debut
with Gowri. The film, which also marks the Kannada debut of
Saanya Iyer
, is scheduled for release on August 15. In an interview with Bangalore Times, Samarjit discusses his lifelong interest in cinema, the challenges he faced as a newcomer, and his experience of working with his father.
‘I was blown away by the magic of cinema’
Explaining what drew him into cinema, Samarjit says, “I was blown away by the magic of the silver screen, and was especially inspired by Appu sir (Puneeth Rajkumar) and Sudeep sir’s movies at a tender age, which made me take up acting. I am interested in various aspects of cinema, so I learnt several nuances of filmmaking at the New York Film Academy for a while. That’s where I gained some knowledge about the camera, got trained in acting and also made short films with a group of friends, which was a huge confidence booster for me to venture into the Kannada film industry. I was part of theatre and even assisted director Yogaraj Bhat in a couple of films, learnt stunts from Chethan Dsouza, and dance from Murali master for two years. All these stints helped my performance in Gowri.”
Although I have acted as a child artiste, I felt more responsibility on my shoulders when I turned into a lead actor. That feeling brought about more diligence and helped me treat the job with utmost sincerity. This story is the perfect vehicle to showcase my range as an actor
Samarjit Lankesh
‘My role in Gowri has several layers to it’
Samarjit plays the titular role in Gowri, which came with its own demands. “It took a while for me to get into the skin of the character, because there are different dimensions to it. I had to learn Mandya Kannada dialect, so I watched Ambareesh and Darshan’s films to pick up the accent, which is a key element in the film. There are dance and stunt sequences, which make Gowri the perfect vehicle to showcase my acting prowess,” he says.
Speaking about the challenges he faced as a newcomer, Samarjit adds, “Although I have acted as a child artiste, I felt more responsibility on my shoulders when I turned a lead actor. That feeling brought about more diligence and helped me treat the job with utmost sincerity.”
My dad and I are friends in real life, but on the sets of Gowri, he was the director and I was just an actor and we were professional. At the end of the day, we have to give what the movie demands, which we can deliver only by doing our work with passion and dedication
Samarjit Lankesh, on working with his father, director Indrajit Lankesh