New Delhi: The bleeding canines of Dracula, the most dreaded and iconic vampire, are going 3D. Young Malayalam director Rupesh Paul's Saint Dracula 3D is the first-ever stereoscopic 3D movie in the Dracula series. It will be premiered at the American Film Market in California on November 2.
"My Dracula is not the archetypal king of the vampires, but a saint," says Rupesh. "An ardent lover, he sacrifices his immortality to his ladylove as a wedding gift. In the original myth, he may be vicious, but in my film, he is the catastrophic lead of a love story."
The idea came to Rupesh from an image that occurred to him unexpectedly: of Dracula as a fervent lover. "It is contrary to the popular images of Dracula as the vampire craving for the virgin’s blood, and the cold-blooded beast that is all claws and gory canine tooth," says Rupesh. "For me, the canine stains he left on the necklines of virgins seemed to be the passionate motifs by a man possessed of his ladylove.’
Why 3D?
"Initially, it was not our intention to give people a jolt of horror by using 3D," he says. "Rather, the story demanded it. The protagonist and the various scenes could not be captured in a 2D frame. Thus, the 3D layout to show the story in its totality."
It is the first-ever Indian production, and has been shot abroad exclusively. The cast and crew are foreigners, except for Rupesh and music director Sreevalsan J Menon.
There are no possession of nuns as Saint Dracula narrates the predicaments of an untainted nun, who is convinced about her love for the vampire king. "While writing the script, I went through a thumping love experience in my own life," says the director. “It was in the air; it touched and uplifted me. That personal experience facilitated the writing of the script."
Rupesh says the film also touches on various facets of the present-day Catholic Church. "An animated Christianity is not the one in question, but rather a pragmatic one," he says. "It reflects the Church’s priorities, outlook, and mind-set."
While Mitch Powel dons the role of Dracula, Brazilian actress Patricia Duarte portrays Clara, the heroine. "Not even one character was selected without a tryout," says Rupesh. "Mitch was chosen because he has a saintly face, which the script demands. Patricia was selected from over 300 candidates from the UK."
The film has been shot at Liverpool and Wales in UK. Frenchman Francois Coppey handles the camera, while the stereography has been done by Julian Crivelli. Sohan Roy, director of Hollywood film Dam 999, is the project designer.
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