Exclusive: I'm still in shock and digesting appreciation: Actor Sapthami Gowda on Kantara's success

In a couple of days, Kantara will complete a month since its release. Rishab Shetty and Sapthami Gowda starrer is still going strong.

This film was released in Kannada and has been winning praise from audiences. It has been now dubbed into Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi languages.

In an exclusive interview with NewsMeter, actor Sapthami Gowda opened up on the entire experience of Kantara. Excerpts:

Congratulations on the success. The numbers are big and you people are winning praises. Did you guys ever see this coming?

Thank you so much. We never saw this coming. Initially, Rishab sir wanted to make it very simple and keep it small. When it was released, it went on to become so big that we are overwhelmed now. We never saw all this coming. The love, box office collections, these press meets and events across so many states, praises from so many big stars, we never saw all this coming.

You signed this film a year after your debut. Was it worth all the wait?

It is absolutely worth all the wait. I am experiencing the worth now. My debut film is Popcorn Monkey Tiger. People appreciated me a lot. But I wanted my second film to be special. When Rishab Shetty called, I was on cloud nine. I always admired his work as an actor and a filmmaker. I wasn't even sure till the day Muhurat if I am still a part of the film (laughs).

How long did you guys shoot and where?

We shot for 96 days. It was a wonderful experience. The shoot happened in Kundapura which is Rishab sir's birthplace. The village and houses were set up there. From the place we were shooting, we could see the house where Rishab sir was born. The rest of the shoot happened in the forest. Rishab sir used to tell us a lot of stories from his childhood.

You poured life into Leela who is a Tulunadu girl. So did you train to be a Tulu? Did you already know about their culture?

Though I am a Kannadiga, I don't know much about the Tulu culture. But learning everything about the coastal region, and their culture was so interesting. But yes, coming back to the question, I was asked to give a look test to match the looks of a Tulunadu-origin girl. Also, the workshop was organized for me to learn everything about Leela and also a complete dialect.

What's next after Kantara?

Right now, nothing but the success of Kantara is on my mind. I am enjoying this phase and I don't want to take any decisions in a hurry.