I wanted to promote 'Aishwarya' in alien territory: Indrajith

Bangalore, Sep 2 (IANS) "I am making a fashion statement," says director-journalist Indrajith Lankesh about his clean-shaven head, which has become his trademark.

Lankesh indeed looks more like a fashion guru than a serious and committed filmmaker or a media person. He dresses well, is highly media-savvy and flouts his big connections with much pride.

Recently, he was seen walking the ramp with some models, including brand ambassadors Deepika Padukone and Daisy Bopanna and superstar Upendra, in a nightclub in the Bangalore Cantonment.

The function was organised by Indrajith himself to promote his next film "Aishwarya" starring Deepika and Upendra.

"Someone asked me what made me organise a Kannada movie promotion function in the cantonment area, not known for functions relating to anything Kannada. I replied that I wanted to market and promote my product in an alien territory," Indrajith told IANS.

"These clubs are frequented by Kannadigas and non-Kannadigas, but none of them would see a Kannada film. You may even wonder whether it is part of Karnataka.

"Even people who know Kannada would not speak in Kannada, leave alone remembering Kannada songs. I was determined to reach this audience which is substantial in numbers and can contribute to the revenues at the box office."

How did Indrajith managed to get Deepika's nod so easily when many filmmakers from Bollywood, including director-choreographer Farah Khan, tried hard to convince her.

"Well, I knew her earlier and her father Prakash happens to be my good friend. I sent her a DVD of my previous film 'Monalisa' and told her that if at all she accepted my offer, it should be her first film and she had to act with Upendra."

"The next day," Indrajith said, "Deepika said she would be doing my film. She was a little nervous on the first day, but everything fell into place from day two."

About Upendra, the director said: "I learnt so much from him in this film. This was the first time I was working with a superstar."

"To my surprise," added Indrajith, "Upendra made my work easy from the first day."