The Dhruva Sarja-starrer film "Martin" is finally ready to be released nationwide after more than three years in the making. Director AP Arjun, who faced challenges during the production of the film, reflects on the journey and expresses optimism about the upcoming release. Despite setbacks like the impact of COVID-19, Arjun looks forward to presenting the film to audiences on a grand scale.

Arjun emphasizes the dedication and creativity that went into making "Martin" captivating for viewers. The film's unique screenplay, presented in a reverse order, promises to keep audiences guessing in every scene. Arjun sees "Martin" as a significant project that will showcase his directorial skills on a larger platform.

Originally planned as a Kannada-Telugu bilingual project, "Martin" evolved into a pan-India film due to the impressive early footage shot in a short period. Arjun discusses the challenges of expanding the film's reach to a wider audience and the adjustments made to ensure it matches the standards of big-budget Bollywood and Telugu productions.

Arjun believes that "Martin" will redefine how audiences perceive actor Dhruva Sarja, who has predominantly appeared in love stories. The film aims to showcase a new side of him and establish his versatility beyond his "Action Prince" image.Fans, this film will truly present him as an action hero like never before. The movie includes four chase sequences choreographed by Ravi Varma and five fights choreographed by Ram Lakshman. International artists like Nathan Jonas and Aarash Shah also contribute to the action scenes. This patriotic film centers around a gangster. To redefine Dhruva's on-screen persona, we made sure to minimize his lengthy dialogues that he is typically associated with in his previous works. Instead, his walk, eyes, expressions, and body language convey the most.AP Arjun on 'Stars vs Newcomers': While I look forward to collaborating with many established stars in our industry, I particularly enjoy working with newcomers. The creative freedom a director gains when working with a fresh group is distinct. When I directed Dhruva in his first film, Addhuri, he was open to evolving as an actor. We dedicated six to eight months to rehearsals with Dhruva and Radhika Pandit before filming, possibly contributing to the movie's success. Collaborating with Dhruva again in Martin posed a unique challenge as we reimagined his on-screen persona. Nonetheless, he was a personal hero then and remains one today. On the impact of social media and short videos on audience attention: Presently, capturing and retaining audience attention is a formidable task due to the vast amount of content available on social media and OTT platforms. Viewers are accustomed to constant scrolling, seeking an engaging experience. Previously, movie-watching primarily occurred in theaters.After undergoing more than 100 days of scrutiny, the film finally aired on television. This highlights the importance of the movie-watching experience in theaters. Nowadays, only films with substantial content stand a chance to succeed in theaters. While movies starring popular actors may attract viewers to some extent, smaller independent films prevailing in theaters would indicate positive progress for the film industry.