‘Directing David was a valuable opportunity, but acting remains my primary focus’: Shreyas Chinga

By Express News Service

Actor-turned-director Shreyas Chinga is gearing up for his upcoming film, David, which holds great significance in his career. According to Shreyas, it not only marks his first solo lead role but also serves as his directorial debut. Describing the film as a romantic murder mystery, Shreyas takes on the protagonist, Gautham, while the antagonist plays the titular role of David,” he explains.

In an interview with CE, ahead of the film’s release on July 21, Shreyas discloses that David had already attracted the attention of international distributors who viewed it at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. “Although we had initially reached an agreement to release the film in multiple languages worldwide, unfortunately, it did not materialize due to various reasons,” Shreyas states.

Shreyas is no stranger to the world of filmmaking. His father, Suri, worked as an art director on Malgudi Days by Shankar Nag, and seven English films including Jewel in the Crown, A Passage to India, and Dance Like a Man. Starting his career as a theatre artist, Shreyas had the privilege of collaborating with acclaimed filmmaker and theatre artist Prakash Belavadi and Gowri Dattu. With his involvement in over 250 commercial projects, Shreyas gained valuable experience in various aspects of filmmaking. “I used the money earned from these projects to invest in making short films, and my first acting experience was in the short film Nirekshe, directed by Raghu Shivamogga. Despite the expenses, these ventures proved to be valuable learning experiences that helped me understand the intricacies of production and acting,” he shares.

Now in his 14th year in the industry, Shreyas takes on the role of director for David when the original director, Bhargav, left the project midway. “With Bhargav serving as a co-director, through the process, both of us learnt a lot from each other. Eventually, the film underwent significant changes, and I now refer to the film as David 2.0,” he reveals.

David, bankrolled by Dhanaraja Babu and Prasad Rudramani is an intriguing murder mystery that intertwines four parallel stories. The film which features Sarah Harish as female lead also stars real rapper MC Bijju and SiD in a major role, along with Hollywood cinematographer Steve Rice, and  R Devandra Naidu handling the cinematography. Shreyas highlights that the film consists of only one song and will have unique pulp fiction-style storytelling.

Aside from David, Shreyas has also directed another film titled Vacant House. Currently, he is simultaneously shooting for Laxmi Putra, a complete commercial entertainer directed by the young filmmaker Rohit Arun. “Directing David was a valuable opportunity, but my primary focus will always be acting,” Shreyas affirms.

<br /> Actor-turned-director Shreyas Chinga is gearing up for his upcoming film, David, which holds great significance in his career. According to Shreyas, it not only marks his first solo lead role but also serves as his directorial debut. Describing the film as a romantic murder mystery, Shreyas takes on the protagonist, Gautham, while the antagonist plays the titular role of David,” he explains.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>In an interview with CE, ahead of the film’s release on July 21, Shreyas discloses that David had already attracted the attention of international distributors who viewed it at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. “Although we had initially reached an agreement to release the film in multiple languages worldwide, unfortunately, it did not materialize due to various reasons,” Shreyas states.</p> <p>Shreyas is no stranger to the world of filmmaking. His father, Suri, worked as an art director on Malgudi Days by Shankar Nag, and seven English films including Jewel in the Crown, A Passage to India, and Dance Like a Man. Starting his career as a theatre artist, Shreyas had the privilege of collaborating with acclaimed filmmaker and theatre artist Prakash Belavadi and Gowri Dattu. With his involvement in over 250 commercial projects, Shreyas gained valuable experience in various aspects of filmmaking. “I used the money earned from these projects to invest in making short films, and my first acting experience was in the short film Nirekshe, directed by Raghu Shivamogga. Despite the expenses, these ventures proved to be valuable learning experiences that helped me understand the intricacies of production and acting,” he shares.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Now in his 14th year in the industry, Shreyas takes on the role of director for David when the original director, Bhargav, left the project midway. “With Bhargav serving as a co-director, through the process, both of us learnt a lot from each other. Eventually, the film underwent significant changes, and I now refer to the film as David 2.0,” he reveals.</p> <p>David, bankrolled by Dhanaraja Babu and Prasad Rudramani is an intriguing murder mystery that intertwines four parallel stories. The film which features Sarah Harish as female lead also stars real rapper MC Bijju and SiD in a major role, along with Hollywood cinematographer Steve Rice, and  R Devandra Naidu handling the cinematography. Shreyas highlights that the film consists of only one song and will have unique pulp fiction-style storytelling.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Aside from David, Shreyas has also directed another film titled Vacant House. Currently, he is simultaneously shooting for Laxmi Putra, a complete commercial entertainer directed by the young filmmaker Rohit Arun. “Directing David was a valuable opportunity, but my primary focus will always be acting,” Shreyas affirms.<br />