Late matinee idol Dr
Vishnuvardhan made quite a debut in 1973 with the film Naagarahaavu. And now, he makes a comeback of sorts with this week's release,
Nagarahavu
, in which his character has been digitally recreated. Director
Kodi Ramakrishna tells us that the late actor's character, who appears for 15 minutes, is vital to the film as he is the one who helps
Ramya's character defeat evil forces.
What is interesting to note is that the director and the late actor were good friends, and Kodi Ramakrishna had even expressed a desire to work with his friend back in 2009, to which the latter had agreed. But unfortunately, the project couldn't take off due to Vishnuvardhan's untimely demise. Knowing this, producer Sajid Qureshi suggested that they recreate the
Sahasa Simha
for a character in this film.
'My producer knew about the promise that Vishnuvardhan had made to me about working in a movie together. So, he suggested that he appear in the climax. I was shocked and asked how this was possible, but he said that Vishnuvardhan can be recreated with graphics. He was ready to invest the money and time to do so, as Sajid wanted the film to have an international look,' says Kodi Ramakrishna.
The director adds that another reason for recreating Vishnuvardhan for this film is to fulfill a promise that the actor made in the song
Chamundi Taayi Aane
from his last film, Aptharakshaka. 'Vishnuvardhan had said in the song that he will be born again in Karnataka as an artiste and be among his fans. So, we have done this in a way,' he says.