Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (NJC)

Mangaluru, Nov 7: Bringing together some of the finest comedy artistes and talents from coastal Karnataka, the upcoming Kannada film ‘Vadiraja Valaga Mandali’, produced under the M N R Productions banner, is all set to hit theatres by the end of December. The film's poster was unveiled at a programme held at Hotel Ocean Pearl in Mangaluru on Saturday, November 7, marking another milestone for the coastal film industry.

Speaking at the occasion, producer Dr M N Rajendra Kumar expressed pride in bringing together local artistes and technicians for the project. He said the film was made entirely with the contribution of coastal talent, including several women artistes, and urged audiences to support and encourage their performances.

Recalling his earlier ventures, he mentioned the television serial ‘Jookula’, produced by Vinoo Balanja, which completed around 400 episodes, followed by ‘Galate’, produced by Prajwal Devaraj's team at international locations. He described ‘Vadiraja Valaga Mandali’ as his third major venture and expressed confidence that the film would receive a good response not only across Karnataka but also in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Written and directed by Shashiraj Kavoor, the film was shot over 55 days in two schedules across Brahmavar, Mangaluru, Mulki, Kasaragod and other locations. With coastal Kannada dialect, humour and an engaging storyline, the film promises to offer wholesome family entertainment.

Popular artistes including Naveen D Padil, Prakash Thuminad, Deepak Rai Panaje, Pushparaj Bollaru, Mime Ramdas, Gopinath Bhat, Shobharaj Pavoor and Lakshman Mallur play prominent roles. Arjun Vedanth and Atharva Prakash feature as the lead actors, while Tanvi Rao and Venya Rai play the female leads.

The film features cinematography by Chennai-based S Chandrashekaran, music by Manikanth Kadri, stunts by Stunt Shivu and choreography by Vinayak Acharya. The musical entertainer has nine songs, including five full-length tracks and four short compositions. Singers Abhi V, Sai Vishwesh, Mime Ramdas, Prakash Mahadevan, Ravindra Prabhu and Manikanth Kadri have lent their voices to the songs.

The film is also being dubbed into Malayalam and Tamil, with the makers hoping to reach audiences beyond Karnataka. Rajendra Kumar thanked the director, cinematographer, music director, singers, actors and the entire crew for their contributions, expressing hope that the project would bring greater recognition and opportunities to coastal artistes. Though the film is ready for release, the team has opted for a December-end release to avoid competition with other films.

Co-producer Jayaprakash Tumbe, actor Gopinath Bhat, executive producers Lakshman Mallur and Santosh Shetty, director Shashiraj Kavoor, actor Naveen D. Padil, music director Manikanth Kadri and other members of the film team were present.