Besides playing the lead roles, Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati have also produced the period drama Kaantha. Directed by Selvamani Selvaraj, the film features Bhagyashri Borse and Samuthirakani in other key roles. The movie is set for release on November 14.
There have been reports suggesting that Kaantha is a biopic of a legendary personality. However, Rana dismissed these rumors, clarifying, “It’s a completely fictional story. Today, anything that happens inside a studio becomes public instantly, but back then, many such stories went untold. The narrative is inspired by the spirit of that era rather than any real incident. You could call it the dark side of legends. It’s about how two brilliant minds in the arts clashed in their pursuit of creative excellence. We’re screening the film in Madras today, and everything will be clear after that.”
Rana also explained why the team chose the 1950s as the backdrop: “That era deeply valued literature and music. Today, in the age of short-form content, everything is simplified. But back then, there was a pursuit of perfection. Setting the story in that period brings out an unexplored kind of romance. Only cinema can truly recreate time. When we moved from Madras, there were no proper studios here, so the old Madras studio culture has always fascinated us. Recreating that world has been an exciting process.”
Dulquer Salmaan spoke about the preparation he underwent for the role: “Unlike Mahanati, this film didn’t have a clear reference point. My director and I often discussed how to shape the character. Somehow, magic happened as you can see in the trailer. Rana, Samuthirakani, Bhagyashri everyone delivered incredible performances.”
On using vintage equipment, Dulquer added, “We’ve actually used some rare cameras and props from the classic Pathala Bhairavi era. Many artifacts from legendary film sets were restored for our production. Viewers will enjoy spotting them and will be amazed to see the kind of equipment used back then.”
Both Dulquer and Rana are confident that Kaantha will perform well in all languages.
