After Gandedhe and Veera, Ramu's new Kannada film is Kanteerava, a family drama, which he launched recently.
As this is Vijay's (of Duniya fame) first film with the production house, Ramu has made sure that there is ample scope for the actor to enhance his action hero image.
"A sequence that I will be shooting at Mysore's Chamundi Vihar Indoor Stadium is what you'll have to watch out for," Vijay says.
"I will be seen doing Manipuri martial arts, gymnastics and wrestling. I have been training with experts for over two months for this stunt," adds Vijay, who had to lose weight for this role.
This will be the hero's introductory shot and a whopping Rs 50 lakh is reportedly spent just on the sets.
Kanteerava is a remake of Junior NTR's Telugu film Simhadri. The story is about how the hero unites an estranged family. "Junior NTR was a great hit in this film and I hope to create the same effect here," adds Vijay.
Like in the original, here too there are two leading ladies. Shuba Punja, who has shared screen space with Vijay in several films will be seen in a deglamorised role, while debutant and director Rajendra Singh Babu's daughter Rohini aka Rishika will add glamour to the film.
"I couldn't have asked for a better launch pad as this film not only allows me to look glamorous, but also gives me ample opportunity to prove my acting skills. The banner and the star cast have come as an added advantage. Shuba's acting tips are of great help. We both get along like a house on fire," Rishika says.
Given her background in fashion designing, she is designing her own clothes for the film. "I'll be using lots of bright colours and also will be experimenting with the cuts," she adds.
Rishika gave her first shot along with Vijay and Shuba at the launch ceremony. A scene where the heroines offer pooja to an axe like weapon placed in front of a temple was shot. Following the pooja, the temple doors fly open and the hero emerges from the ground, even as bombs go off in the background. Vijay then steps out and mouths a punchy dialogue.
Tushar Ranghanath is the director, his second venture after Gulama. "Vijay is a good friend and so it somehow feels odd and scary to say 'action' and 'cut' to him," he says.
Tushar has even penned a song. Chakri is the music director. The songs will be shot in foreign locations while the rest of the movie will be shot in Bangalore, Mysore and parts of Kerala.
Thriller Manju is the action director. Rahul Dev and Mukesh Rishi will be playing the villains. Jeevi, Rangayana Raghu and Sadhu Khokila are also part of the cast.
Kanteerava is set for a Dassera release.
Image: Rishika, Vijay and Shuba Punja pose after shooting a scene at the launch ceremony. Photograph: Manohar R
