Chennai— Filmmaker Sankagiri Rajkumar, known for his critically noted debut Vengayam, said it took him six years to complete his upcoming sci-fi film One, a project he developed entirely on his own.
In an interview with IANS, Rajkumar said the film was made without assistance from any crew member. He wrote the script, performed all acting roles, directed, shot, edited, and managed every technical aspect of production himself—including crane operations and visual effects work.
“It took me six years to make this film,” Rajkumar said. “When about 75–80 percent of the movie had been processed, I couldn’t continue. I became depressed. The stress got to me.”
He said the challenge of overseeing every step—such as data storage, continuity, costumes, and logistics—felt overwhelming. “When I had to think of what 500 people would normally process, I became depressed. I realised I had to forget everything and concentrate on something else to refresh myself.”
During this break, he made Bioscope, a smaller film created with help from family and friends. The project, he said, helped restore his energy. Bioscope is based on his experience making Vengayam.
“It was a simple film without graphics or technology. After completing Bioscope, I felt my enthusiasm return and went ahead and completed One,” he said.
Rajkumar said One includes about 20 primary characters and nearly 500 supporting characters, all played by him. He added that the work required him to take on more than 70 filmmaking departments—from makeup and costume to 3D modeling, animation, lighting, editing, dubbing, and music.
“We assume there are only 24 crafts in filmmaking, but there are many ancillary departments to each craft,” he said. “I had to work in around 70 departments, starting from story creation to songs.”
Rajkumar intends to release One in December, though a specific date has not been finalized. (Source: IANS)
