One Man's Epic Film Journey: 6 Years, 70 Departments, No Help

Director Sankagiri Rajkumar has achieved what no filmmaker has attempted before by making his sci-fi film 'One' completely alone. He spent six years handling every aspect from acting all characters to technical departments like animation and color correction. The immense pressure caused him to experience depression when the film was 80% complete, forcing him to take a creative break. He revived his spirits by making the simpler film 'Bioscope' before returning to complete his groundbreaking solo project for a December release.

Key Points: Director Sankagiri Rajkumar Made Film One Single-Handedly

  • Director handled all 70 filmmaking departments from scripting to final editing
  • Overcame severe depression during production at 80% completion stage
  • Made 500 supporting characters and 20 main roles all by himself
  • Created interim film Bioscope to regain creative energy and enthusiasm
3 min read

It took me six years to single-handedly make my movie 'One', says director Sankagiri Rajkumar (IANS Exclusive)

Director Sankagiri Rajkumar reveals his 6-year solo journey making 'One', handling all 70 filmmaking departments himself, overcoming depression to create cinematic history.

"It took me six years to make this film... The stress got to me. - Sankagiri Rajkumar"

Chennai, Nov 23

Director Sankagiri Rajkumar, who is best known for having made the critically acclaimed film 'Vengayam', has now successfully completed making his next film, 'One', all by himself, without the assistance of even a single other person!

It's a phenomenal feat that no other person has ever attempted, let alone succeed.

From scripting the story to acting to directing to shooting to editing to operating cranes, every single task associated with making the film has been done by the man himself.

When IANS caught up with Rajkumar and asked him how long it had taken him to make this film all by himself, he replied, "It took me six years to make this film. In between, what happened was when about 75-80 % of the movie had been processed, I couldn't do it. I became depressed. The stress got to me."

Rajkumar added, "When I had to think of a number of things ranging from where I had to store the data, to costumes, to continuity, it wore me down. When I had to think what 500 people would have to process, I became depressed. I realised I had to forget everything and concentrate on something else to refresh myself."

That was when Rajkumar decided to take a break and make another simple film called 'Bioscope', which would not have graphics or technology associated with it.

"Bioscope was a simple film made with the help of family members and friends. It tells the story of how we made my first film 'Vengayam'. It was a fun film which revived my spirits and energy. After completing 'Bioscope', I felt my enthusiasm return and went ahead and completed 'One'," said Rajkumar.

Sankagiri Rajkumar has acted in all the characters of the film, which belongs to the sci-fi genre.

"The film has 20 main characters and around 500 supporting characters. I have played all of them myself," says Rajkumar, who goes onto explain that he worked in not just 24 crafts of filmmaking but over 70 departments of filmmaking.

"We are under the impression that there are only 24 crafts in filmmaking. However, there are several ancillary departments to each craft and I had to work on each of those departments as well. In all, I had to work in around 70 departments starting from story creation, makeup, costume, location, grand trolley movement, camera lighting, editing, dubbing, graphics, animation, 3D modeling, texture, color correction, music and songs," explains Rajkumar, who says that he now intends to release his film, 'One', in December this year.

"I haven't finalised the date as yet, but I intend to release it in December this year," he said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
Respect for his honesty about mental health struggles. Many artists suffer in silence, but he openly spoke about depression and took a break. That's real strength! 💪
R
Rohit P
Playing 520 characters alone? That's mind-blowing! The technical aspects alone - from camera work to 3D modeling - would break most people. True genius!
S
Sarah B
While I admire the dedication, I wonder if this is sustainable for our film industry. Collaboration brings diverse perspectives that often make films better. Still, remarkable achievement!
M
Meera T
The 'Bioscope' break strategy was so smart! Sometimes stepping back helps you move forward better. Indian cinema needs more such innovative thinkers.
K
Karthik V
From Tamil cinema comes another gem! After 'Vengayam', expectations were high, and he's pushing boundaries again. Hope this inspires young filmmakers across India.

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