Following over three years of work, the movie Martin, starring Dhruva Sarja, is scheduled to release nationwide this week. Despite facing production challenges, director AP Arjun reflects on the making of the film, stating, "This project has been a valuable learning experience, particularly navigating setbacks such as the impact of COVID-19. Looking ahead, I choose to focus on our exciting offering to audiences on a grand scale." Arjun provides insights into the filmmaking journey of Martin:
'Martin' promises to captivate audiences with its unique storytelling approach. The screenplay unfolds in reverse order, ensuring that each scene keeps viewers intrigued, guessing about what will happen next. This movie holds significance for me personally, poised to establish my directorial presence on a larger stage.
Transitioning from a bilingual venture to a pan-Indian release was a pivotal decision for 'Martin.' Originally envisioned as a Kannada-Telugu project commencing on August 15, 2021, our initial plan shifted due to the exceptional quality of the content filmed in a short duration. With aspirations to cater to a wider audience beyond Karnataka, we revamped the narrative to suit diverse preferences and bolster the production values to align with industry standards across India.
'Martin' aims to showcase a different side of Dhruva, breaking away from his previous roles in romantic genres. Renowned as the 'Action Prince,' this film presents an opportunity for him to reinvent his image in the eyes of the audience.Dear fans, this film will present him in an action hero role like never seen before. It 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-packed scenes. The movie, centered around a gangster, has a patriotic theme. In a deliberate effort to redefine Dhruva's on-screen persona, we have minimized his dialogue delivery, relying more on his walk, eyes, expressions, and body language to convey his character. In the film industry, I am excited about collaborating with both established stars and emerging talents. While working with newcomers offers a unique creative freedom for storytelling, the journey of shaping Dhruva as an actor in his debut film 'Addhuri' was a rewarding experience. The extensive rehearsal period with Dhruva and Radhika Pandit before filming significantly contributed to the movie's success. In the latest project 'Martin,' redefining Dhruva's on-screen image posed a new challenge, but he remains a hero in my eyes. In today's digital age, capturing and retaining audience attention is increasingly difficult due to social media distractions and the abundance of global content on OTT platforms. Filmmakers must adapt to these changing audience preferences to engage and entertain viewers effectively.After undergoing over 100 days of screening, the film finally premiered on TV. This highlights the reverence attached to watching a movie in a theater. Nowadays, only movies driven by quality content can thrive in cinemas. Although films starring popular actors may attract audiences to some extent, the true indicator of progress in the film industry lies in the success of smaller, independent films at the box office.
