Being confined indoors has led to a boom in online activities and events. This is true of both commoners and celebrities. Rakshit Shetty has joined the bandwagon. Bengaluru-based The Big Little, founded by Kavya Shankaregowda and co-founded by Bharath Sudhama, curates and creates content online.
“Anybody can come up with great content, which fails to reach the target audience,” says Kavya. “That is where The Big Little comes in. We help curate the content and also make sure it reaches the potential target audience.”
They are on a mission to create entertainment and content for people during the lockdown with a series called The Big Little Innovation , where they tie up with celebrities including Rakshit. The Avane Srimannarayana star will conduct a masterclass for The Big Little which is open to all.
Rakshit will discuss movies and behind-the-scenes activities with actor-director Rishab Shetty, The Seven Odds (Rakshit’s writing team), and Ajaneesh Lokanath (music composer), says Bharath. “People can post questions to Rakshit on his Instagram account. He will pick five questions, that will be answered in the masterclass.”
Rakshit is at home penning the script of his next project, Punyakoti. The actor takes time to speak to MetroPlus about films, his masterclass and the lockdown. Excerpts
Karnataka : Bengaluru : 07/02/2018 . Actor Rakshit Shetty at his office in Bengaluru . Photo: Bhagya Prakash K 
Tell us about the masterclass...
I am not a master filmmaker. I am still learning. The idea behind the masterclass was to share whatever I have learnt. The Seven Odds and I want to interact with aspiring writers and filmmakers. We would like to show them the path we have trod and share our journey with them.
When will the masterclass be streamed?
The moment Big Little schedules it, we will go online. It will be an interactive class, we will take questions. Kavya will interact with people and choose five questions, which we will answer during the live session.
Is filmmaking an inborn talent or can it be learnt?
I believe it is a combination of both. To tell a story, there has to be a storyteller inside of you. You need to be passionate to tell a story and you also need to be clear why you want to tell it. Though not everyone can tell a story, it is a skill that one can improve upon with time and training. Some are organic in their storytelling pattern even though they have no clue about writing and vice versa. Any skill can enhance your talent. That way learning always helps, no matter what field.
How have you taken to the lock-down?
I look at it as a boon — maybe all writers look at it like that. As an actor, I have never got such a long break. I have been working non-stop for the last five to six years. The last story I wrote was Simple Aag Ondu Love Story, after which I haven’t had the time to write. Whatever I wrote — Kirik Party or ASN — was in collaboration with the Seven Odds.
Collaborative writing is also a reaction to Ulidavaru Khadante’s reception at the box office. I think it has made me feel that maybe a few of my choices may not work in the box office. I also wanted to build a team of writers where we share ideas. But now, I am just writing what I believe is my kind of a story.
How do you see the streaming platforms?
I am a very pro-online kind of a guy. When Ulidavaru.. was released, many people watched it on file-sharing sites. Had there been an online platform, the film would have reached many more and we too would have made some money out of it. I think people believe in my kind of films because of Ulidavarau... Both Kirik Party and ASN are on streaming platforms. I feel it is a good medium for us to make money and also reach a larger audience.
There are many online platforms, which many are not aware of. We gave the digital and satellite rights for Kirik Party , that boosted our marketing. The good thing about online platforms is that language is not a barrier, all that matters is if the film is good or bad.
