KGF Chapter 2 director Prashanth Neel finally introduces the man behind technicians and artwork. Taking it to a new level, it is Shivakumar J who made Yash-starrer creative.
Shivakumar’s creativity on the set
Ahead of the film’s release on April 14, Shivakumar speaks about how the film has just got bigger in all aspects with KGF Chapter 2. He begins by praising his team who worked considerably and worked together to creatively bring to life the vision for the film.
Speaking to Cinema Express Shivkumar says, “The KGF sets have become a milestone now, and people often make their way to these locations in the State. It is guaranteed that the artwork in KGF Chapter 2 will be 10 times bigger than the first film.” Shivakumar said, adding “It isn’t like we decided to scale the sequel on a bigger note only after the success of the first part. It was always there in the script right from the beginning.”
By the time Shivkumar and the team began working on the sets, KGF was their second home. Sharing the working process of KGF Chapter 2, the art director said that Prashanth Neel did give time for showing their creativity and never forced them with a deadline.
“Right on the first day of our work, Prashanth said ‘We will begin shooting only when you are done with the set work and design’ and it allowed us to go into great detailing,” he said.
Original designs and artwork
Having made almost 20 major sets and 15 smaller sets for the film, Shivakumar claims that the set design is original and is not inspired by any other films. “We examined and watched documentaries, and accordingly, we planned the sets. Every artwork that one sees in the movie is original and is something that will not be seen in any previous films,” says Shivakumar.
Speaking on the work done in the sequel movie, Shivakumar says that there have been a lot of changes made for KGF Chapter 2. “The dark shade in KGF was given to showcase the pain that the labor class goes through. I have specifically considered the lighting techniques and color combination of Dutch artist Rembrandt, which is very theatrical. Every artwork in KGF looks like a painting, but has commercial elements too.”
Giving a small sneak peek at the upcoming move’s artwork Shivakumar says, “Except for a few items like telephones, we have avoided plastic in our artworks. Instead, we bought second-hand army tents to build the labor colony. It was also important that even the costumes worn by the artists should go hand-in-hand with the background.”
Unfriendly circumstances
Shivakumar also reflects on how the weather often damaged the artwork. “Rain would play mayhem with our plans. Sometimes we couldn’t explore the loose soil, and the granite stones would create obstacles while erecting the sets. Rain would moisten the sets, and the colors would get faded. It was difficult to bring back the same sets because artwork cannot be done mathematically. We cannot come up with the same setup every single time. But we have managed to reach the best,” says Shivakumar.
Shivakumar, who thinks KGF films was never a one-man show, believes it is a team play. “Till the success of KGF, the art department wasn’t widely recognized. Today there is a lot of importance given to the creative side of filmmaking. I’m thankful to all who have brought us to the front row,” he concludes.
Shivkumar J is a state award-winning director, who did his fine arts degree at Chitrakala Parishath. He made his debut with the Ravichandran directorial Aham Premasmi (2005). Having worked in over 30 films, Shivakumar won his second State Award for KGF Chapter 1.
