A first film, a filmmaker’s vision and a curiosity for everything beyond cinema. Sanchith Sanjeev has plenty on his horizon.

On a film set, there is always more happening than what the camera captures. A scene is being lit, costumes are being adjusted, people move between departments, and dozens of decisions eventually come together in a single frame. For Sanchith Sanjeev, it was this world behind the finished image that first made cinema fascinating.

Today, the young Kannada actor has made his theatrical debut with Mango Pachcha, but his relationship with filmmaking began years before he stepped in front of a camera.

As a Class 1 student, Sanchith spent nearly two months in Ooty during the shooting of Sparsha, accompanying his grandparents, who were producing the film. His uncle, Kichcha Sudeep, was its leading man. As he grew older, visits to film sets became opportunities to observe, ask questions and spend time with the crew.

“I wasn’t just going there as a spectator to watch a shoot and come back. I would talk to the technicians, spend time with them and discuss what they were shooting that particular day,” he recalls. “I think it was that organised chaos of a film set that really intrigued me.”

The curiosity eventually took him to the New York Film Academy, where long classroom hours were followed by weekend filmmaking assignments. Back on Kannada productions, he gravitated towards the direction department, discovering the creative possibilities of cinematography, lighting, costumes and production design.

Sanchith had spent years observing how films were put together. Soon, he would discover what it felt like to be the person everyone was working to capture.

THE DEBUT DETOUR

When Mango Pachcha came his way, Sanchith had already spent around one and a half to two years preparing for his acting debut. He was eager to begin, but it was the character-driven story and director Viveka’s clarity of vision that convinced him to take the plunge.

“I think the entire experience itself was challenging because it was my first film. However confident I might have been beforehand, even the night before facing the camera, things feel different when you’re actually there,” he shares.

With as many as 100 to 150 people working towards a single frame, the responsibility felt enormous.

Gradually, the experience began to feel more familiar. Watching his scenes come together through editing and music helped him gain confidence, while the support of the crew made the transition easier. For someone who had spent years understanding filmmaking from behind the camera, it was another side of the process to discover.

Mango Pachcha wasn’t the debut he had originally planned. That distinction belonged to Jimmy, an action film he intended to direct and star in. Conceived as an ode to John Wick, the project had a striking visual identity built around neon colours, music and stylised framing.

For Sanchith, the teaser was also a way of communicating his vision to the technicians and collaborators involved, ensuring everyone understood the film he wanted to create.

For now, Jimmy remains on the back burner. Sanchith would rather revisit the project when the timing feels right, particularly as he believes audience preferences around action-heavy films are changing.

“As much as we’re creative people driven by certain ideas, we also need to understand where our audiences stand today and what they want to see,” he states.

FAR FROM THE CLASSROOM

One assignment. One unexpected destination.

Film school in New York came with its share of adventures. During one weekend assignment, Sanchith and his classmates packed their equipment, gathered their actors and set off for an unusual filming location.

Their destination was what he describes as a World War II-era bomb shelter, tucked away in a forest and accessible only after a trek.

“We took a car, we took our equipment, we took our actors, and we just rode off,” he shares.

Between demanding college schedules, sushi bars, karaoke nights and unexpected filming locations, Sanchith discovered a side of New York far beyond the usual tourist trail.

A TASTE FOR ADVENTURE

Cinema may occupy much of his time, but Sanchith has found other worlds worth exploring.

A Formula 1 follower and Red Bull Racing enthusiast, he has become involved with his family’s Indian Racing League team. His first live race at the Kari circuit in Coimbatore brought a rush of excitement that remains vivid.

“When you hear those engines roar, it’s an incredible feeling. I don’t think I’ve had happy tears in a very long time, but I remember that moment so vividly. When all the cars came and took their positions at the starting line, it was surreal,” he recalls.

His admiration extends to Max Verstappen, whose approach to racing and mindset as an athlete particularly interest him.

Filmmaking has also become his favourite way of discovering places. Shooting Mango Pachcha took him through crowded neighbourhoods and lesser-explored corners of Mysuru, a city he’d known since childhood.

Back in Bengaluru, his interests take a culinary turn. He and his childhood friends regularly drive around exploring everything from modest eateries to larger restaurants.

“Food is something I’m really passionate about, and someday I wish to open my own restaurant,” he shares.

Beyond motorsport and food, surfing is another experience on his wish list, particularly around Udupi and Mulki.

ROMANCE ON THE RADAR

The roles and filmmakers Sanchith hopes to explore.

After making his debut with a crime drama, Sanchith is keen to explore a different side of cinema: romance.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say a romantic comedy, but a good romantic film with a lot of depth and emotion,” he shares.

Director Suri is also high on his wish list. Sanchith admires his raw, rustic storytelling and hopes to collaborate with him someday, particularly drawn to his distinctive approach to filmmaking.

THE LONG GAME

For someone at the beginning of his acting career, Sanchith is already thinking about the work he hopes to look back on.

He acknowledges the advantages of his film-family background, but his ambitions centre on making considered creative choices and contributing something meaningful to Kannada cinema.

“I think I would want to have a great filmography that I’m genuinely proud of, regardless of the box-office numbers or the results,” he shares.

Perhaps that’s fitting for someone whose earliest interest in cinema lay in understanding how everything came together. Having spent years watching people build stories, Sanchith now hopes to help shape the ones audiences will remember.

“Somewhere, I want to be part of that change,” he concludes.