It may have taken the team of the Kannada film Masterpiece a year to get it from start to finish, but its release today gives them immense satisfaction, as they believe their vision has been fulfilled. Produced by Hombale Films, the movie marks the debut of writer Manju Mandavya as director and sees Yash onscreen a year after his hit, Mr and Mrs Ramachari. Here, team members Manju, Yash and Chikkanna tell us what makes it a must-watch. After spending six months perfecting a script for a one-liner that caught Yash’s fancy, Manju has got the actor to play a character that he has never done before — a hero with shades of grey. It is no wonder then that Suhasini Maniratnam, in the role of his mother, does not approve of anything that he does. “But that doesn’t make me out-and-out bad,” says Yash, adding that the film is a clean entertainer that will appeal to all audiences, especially his fans, who have come to expect certain elements in his projects in keeping with his image with family audiences. Most of the songs also bring to the fore the gifted dancer that Yash is, with at least four energetic dance numbers to look forward to. “This character had that kind of space to warrant dance routines and we have tried something new with every song,” adds Yash, who is paired with Shanvi Srivastava in the film. For one of Kannada cinema’s most popular and busiest comedians, Chikkanna, the film is his landmark 50th. “It is extra special because I started my film career with Yash in Kirataka and my 50th is with him as well. Normally, when I play the hero’s friend, I am always a part of a group, but in this film, I am his only friend. That apart, our offscreen camaraderie reflects in our onscreen chemistry as well, which works well for our comedy scenes. Manju’s dialogues are amazing and considering that this is a Yash film, the jokes are all clean with no double entendres,” says Chikkanna. Most importantly, though, says Manju, Masterpiece is a film with a strong social message that touches upon several issues plaguing society today, conveyed in an entertaining manner.