Arjun Upendra is on a mission: to release a world class independent feature film produced and released entirely by heavy-weight Hollywood studios and distributors based in the US."Within the Mind's Eye" is the working title of his film, a psychological thriller, to be filmed on location in Sri Lanka, India and Bangkok with a cast comprising entirely of Hollywood actors. The film is produced by Ingeneur Studios and Skylark Productions and Upendra plans to have it released by a major US distributor.
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| Arjun Upendra |
Upendra, a graduate of the prestigious Hollywood Film Institute, is the son of acclaimed film director T. Arjuna who won 11 presidential awards for his film Wasanthaye Dawasak. He has had most of his experience in the film industry abroad, particularly in the US, working with renowned filmmaker and cinematographer Jason Tomaric. He has also been in the business of film rights distribution in India, providing TV rights for Hong Kong based movies. Upendra has also worked with film instructor Dov Simens, his friend, philosopher and guide.
Upendra's film will differ from other local productions in one big way - and it's not the Hollywood factor. It's preproduction. "Very few people do strong preproductions. It's breaking down everything that translates words into visuals and envisioning every hypothetical scenario that could take place during shooting. It saves time and money. Hitchcock once said, 'my film is finished before filming begins.' He took about six months for preproduction alone. It's about taking your script and breaking it down. Only a handful of filmmakers do it here in the subcontinent (India included)," says Upendra.
Preproduction will begin in September and shooting will kick off in December. The movie is based on an original screenplay by Upendra himself, the story being based on Einstein's theory of relativity and Darwin's theory of evolution.
"A lot of people believe that we, as human beings, are yet to achieve our full potential. That's the basic ideology of the film," says Upendra. "It's going to be a rollercoaster ride," he adds with a glint in his eye.
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