Actors who act and direct simultaneously in films create a unique impact. The characters they play and the scenes they direct provide a unique experience. The challenges, learnings, and successes that such actor-directors face during the filming are much different as well. In South Indian cinema, Dhanush, Rishabh Shetty, and some other leading actors are skillfully handling this combination.
Stars like Dhanush and Rishab Shetty showcase their talents
Dhanush has directly handled the characters and story development in films like ‘Paa Paandi’. As he mentioned in interviews, Dhanush dedicated himself to the scenes the entire time and crafted each story and dialogue in his own way. Similarly, Kannada cinema’s Rishab Shetty proved himself as a director with his film ‘Kirik Party’. Later, he played the lead role in the series ‘Kantara’. He said that while focusing on a scene’s acting, he realized how difficult it would be to monitor all of the cinematography, art direction, and visual projects at the same time.
Acting under your own direction offers creative freedom
If acting and direction are done simultaneously, then the story is in complete control. As Dhanush says, it is a joyous experience to direct the scenes he has imagined and to shape the characters with his own vision. Rishab Shetty brings comedy, emotion, and cultural nuances to the scenes with precision, ensuring that the audience experiences emotional, believable scenes.
Balancing dual responsibilities as a director-actor
But this dual performance can cause a pressure and present its own set of challenges. Time management and mental focus are very important, as each scene has to be in sync with the plan. Dhanush has said about focusing on acting and directing at the same time: “When you focus on acting and directing, sometimes food is skipped and the set has to change.” As Rishabh Shetty said, there are some scenes where he made some changes while editing the footage at home with his family at night.“My dream is to become a director. I want to direct a Hindi film. I have two scripts ready. One of them is a fantasy-adventure, while the other is a thriller,” said Dhanush during ‘Raayan’ promotions.
“Usually, I am composed and mentally strong, but this journey has been exhausting,” said Rishab Shetty on sharing his experience on ‘Kantara Chapter 1’ at the film’s pre-release event.
Despite challenges, actor-directors reap major rewards
However, the benefits for actors who are also directors are enormous. They can completely shape the story from their perspective, create their own characters, and set up scenes to their liking. Thus, the audience can experience emotional, believable, and different scenes. Dhanush, Rishab Shetty, Kamal Haasan, and some leading South Indian stars have done this successfully. When skillful acting and direction combine, the emotion of the story and the power of the scene are doubled, and they will remain in the minds of the audience for a long time. Furthermore, it will boost the actor’s confidence, create a unique identity in the film industry, and make the film a more personal and special experience. Similarly, the challenges of being an actor-director become opportunities to make them stronger and elevate them as artists and storytellers.
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