After more than three years of production, the film "Martin," starring Dhruva Sarja, is scheduled to be released nationwide this week. Director AP Arjun, who faced challenges during the making of the film, reflects on the experience, saying, "This project has been a great learning opportunity for me. Despite setbacks such as the impact of COVID-19, I choose to focus on the present and look forward to sharing our work with audiences." He discusses the journey of creating "Martin" in the following excerpts:
"Expect surprises in every scene of 'Martin'"
Our dedication to this film has been unwavering, with a strong focus on engaging the audience. The screenplay is structured in reverse, keeping viewers on their toes with unexpected twists in each scene. "Martin" holds personal significance for me, as it marks a milestone in my directorial career on a larger scale.
"From a bilingual project to a nationwide release"
Initially envisioned as a Kannada-Telugu bilingual project in August 2021, the quality of our early footage led us to expand the film's reach to a pan-India audience. Transitioning from a regional to a national market required reevaluating the content to appeal to a wider audience and enhancing production values to meet industry standards. This shift prompted significant revisions in the storyline to cater to a broader demographic.
"An opportunity for Dhruva to showcase his versatility"
Known for his roles in romantic films, Dhruva will be portraying a different character in "Martin." This film is poised to redefine his image in the minds of the audience, showcasing his versatility beyond his previous roles.Dear fans, this film will present him as an action hero in a way never seen before. The movie includes four chase scenes choreographed by Ravi Varma and five fights choreographed by Ram Lakshman. International artists Nathan Jonas and Aarash Shah also contribute to the action. It is a patriotic film revolving around a gangster. In an intentional effort to transform Dhruva's on-screen persona, we have minimized lengthy dialogues that he is typically associated with in his previous films. Instead, his walk, gaze, demeanor, and expressions convey the most. Director AP Arjun values both established stars and newcomers in the film industry. He particularly appreciates the creative freedom that comes with working alongside newcomers, as exemplified by his collaboration with Dhruva and Radhika Pandit in the film "Addhuri." Despite the challenges of reshaping Dhruva's on-screen image in their current project "Martin," their shared journey remains special to him. Arjun highlights the modern challenge of capturing audience attention amidst the swift distractions of social media and global content consumption on OTT platforms, emphasizing the need for engaging storytelling techniques.After a thorough 100-day screening process, the film finally made its way to television, underscoring the significance of the cinema-going experience. Today, it appears that only content-rich movies can thrive in traditional theaters. While star-studded films may still attract audiences to some degree, the success of independent films at the box office signals a positive shift in the film industry.
