Kannada film 'Ikkat' is a fun take on lockdown: Cast, crew talk to TNM
“We had many plans before the coronavirus pandemic hit us; with the lockdown, everything was stalled. We were juggling with many ideas, however, we thought of writing a story on the entire pandemic and the lockdown that ensued and that’s how Ikkat happened,” Esham and Haseen Khan, the makers of the upcoming Kannada comedy film Ikkat, tell TNM. The film is the first in the Kannada industry, and one of the few Indian films that centre around COVID-19.
The story of Ikkat is of a couple who constantly bicker, but are forced to be holed up together because of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Cabin fever gets the best of them and hilarious situations ensue. Esham and Haseen say that they wanted to make a film with as few characters as possible. “We had many scenarios, of which, we picked the husband-wife situation,” Esham shares.
Ikkat stars Nagabhushana NS and Bhoomi Shetty in the lead. While Nagabhushana has previously appeared in films like French Biryani, U Turn and Ondalla Eradalla, Bhoomi makes her Sandalwood debut with Ikkat. She tells TNM that she was ecstatic to be given the opportunity. “Just like many people, I was in my native town, worrying whether I’d receive any work or not. But amidst all of it, I was offered this film and was selected to play the character of Janhavi. While shooting the film, I was worried about my family’s safety but was happy that I had work during the difficult times,” she shares.
Bhoomi’s character Janhavi, a feisty, sharp-witted woman, is in contrast to Nagabhushana’s character Vasu, a typical middle-class man from a small town who has settled in Bengaluru. Finding actors to bring the characters alive, especiallyJanhavi, was a challenge, the makers explain. “We knew Nagabhushana from our earlier projects and we knew he could pull it off, and had asked him to send a clip for an audition. We were not convinced with his looks though, and had to experiment with it before being convinced that he looked suitable for the role. For the female lead, we had to go through over 30 audition clips before one of Bhoomi’s friends put us in touch with her. Once we saw her audition clip, we knew she would perfectly be able to essay the role,” the duo says.
Another challenge they faced during the making of Ikkatt was finding a house to shoot in, and working in the small location. “Shooting within a house is very challenging. A two-hour film being shot in one house was a task as we also had to ensure that the audiences remain engaged and do not get bored with only one setting. We created a definite storyboard before the shooting began to avoid having difficulties,” they explain.
When asked about her experience on the set, Bhoomi said that the world of television serials and films are very different. But both Esham and Haseen agreed that Bhoomi is a talented actor and did a wonderful job, despite this being her first film.
The humour quotient
By putting a humorous twist to the pandemic, Ikkatt aims to lift the spirits of people. The cast and crew say that, with people going through a rollercoaster of emotions during the first and second waves of the pandemic, the film presents the situation through a comical lens so people can have a laugh about it.
Nagabhushana, who has acted in eight movies so far, says he has always leaned towards comedy. Talking about what makes him gravitate towards the genre, he quips, “As an artist, one’s greatest contribution is to make people laugh. Laughing at jokes is easier, however, making someone laugh is very challenging. Mysteriously enough, I have good comic timing, which all works in my favour.”
Starring seasoned actors like Sundar as well, Ikkat is the only Kannada film to be released on Amazon Prime Video on Prime Day, along with other films such as Fahadh Faasil’s Malik, Arya-starrer Sarpatta Parambarai and Farhan Akhtar starrer sports drama Toofan.
The cast and makers of Ikkatt say they are happy that the film will be released on an OTT platform, as it can reach a wider audience. All of them agree that audiences will be able to relate to the story. “We are happy that our film will be released on Amazon Prime Video and is the only Kannada film part of the Prime Day festival. I urge each and everyone to watch this film; it has no innuendos and can be watched with entire families. We hope you will be able to laugh at the film and give it all your love,” Esham shares.
Backed by filmmaker Pawan Kumar, Ikkat will be released worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on July 21. Watch the trailer here: