After being in the works for more than three years, the movie Martin starring Dhruva Sarja is all set to premiere nationwide this week. Director AP Arjun, who faced various challenges during the production phase, reflects on the journey of creating the film. He expresses, “This project has been a valuable learning experience for me. Despite setbacks like the impact of COVID-19, I choose to focus on the present and the grand scale on which we are presenting the film to audiences.” Arjun elaborates on the development process of Martin with the following highlights:
‘Audiences will be kept guessing by every scene in Martin’
Our sincere efforts in making this film involved keeping the audience engaged at every turn. The screenplay unfolds in a reverse sequence, ensuring that each scene leaves viewers anticipating what will happen next. Martin holds significant importance to me as it provides a platform to showcase my skills as a director on a larger scale.
‘Transitioning from a bilingual venture to a nationwide release’
Originally planned as a Kannada-Telugu project kickstarted on August 15, 2021, with the intention of completion within a year or a year and a half. However, after witnessing the quality of the initial footage shot in 10 to 15 days, we decided to transform it into a pan-India film. The shift to a nationwide audience necessitated reworking the content to resonate universally, as well as enhancing the production value to match industry standards set by Bollywood and Telugu cinema.
‘Martin will redefine the audience's perception of Dhruva’
Traditionally seen in romantic roles, Dhruva will undergo a transformation in Martin, stepping into a more action-oriented avatar. Known as the 'Action Prince'...Dear fans, this film will present him in a whole new light as an action hero. It includes four chase sequences and five fights choreographed by Ravi Varma and Ram Lakshman respectively. International artists Nathan Jonas and Aarash Shah also contribute to the action-packed scenes. The movie, a patriotic tale centered on a gangster, deliberately avoids lengthy dialogues to showcase Dhruva's acting through his physicality and expressions. Director AP Arjun shares his preference for working with newcomers, citing the creative freedom it offers. When directing Dhruva in his debut film Addhuri, extensive rehearsals with the actor and his co-star Radhika Pandit laid a strong foundation for the project's success. In their latest collaboration, "Martin," Arjun faces the unique challenge of reshaping Dhruva's on-screen persona. He acknowledges the modern audience's short attention span, influenced by social media and OTT platforms, posing a new challenge for filmmakers to engage viewers effectively.After a thorough 100-day screening process, the film finally aired on TV, emphasizing the unique experience of watching movies in a theater. Nowadays, only films with substantial content thrive in theaters. Although star-studded movies still draw audiences to some extent, the success of smaller, more thoughtful films at the box office indicates a positive shift in the film industry.
