Love Guru vs Eddelu Manjunatha this week

Two major Kannada films -- Love Guru and Eddelu Manjunatha -- will battle it out at the box office this Friday. The producers of Dinesh Babu's Painters are making frantic efforts to get the censor certificate in time for its release.

Love Guru -- directed by debutant Prashanth, who had worked as an assistant director in Hindi films like Raaz -- has Tarun and Radhika Pandit in the lead. Dileep Raj plays another important role.

What goes in favour of the film are its songs composed by Joshua Sridhar. They are already huge hits.

Prashanth described Love Guru as a different love story with commercial elements in it.

"The story has been narrated with a lot of freshness and novelty. But the film has many 'mass' elements necessary for wider appeal. The songs have certainly given a big boost to our film.

"We shot all the songs very well. Both Tarun and Radhika have been presented differently from their earlier films. Radhika looks extremely modern in the film," said Prashanth.

Both Radhika Pandit and Tarun say that they enjoyed working in Love Guru.

"It may be a cliche if we say this film is different but the fact is, it is different. The audience will certainly experience something different. Everything about the film has a different feel to it,' says Radhika.

Tarun has been receiving very positive feedback on songs. "My role is that of any young, immature young man who aspires for love, but is afraid to reveal his inner feelings," he says. 

If Love Guru is a young love story, Eddelu Manjunatha -- directed by Guru Prasad with Jaggesh in the leading role -- has been publicised as a historical. The film is special for Jaggesh who has been in the Kannada film industry for more than 25 years.

"Jaggesh sir's character is a lazy person who does not take life seriously and he has given one of the most brilliant performances in the film. His dialogue delivery would be a highlight," said Guru Prasad.

"The dialogues written by Guru Prasad are hilarious and Jaggesh has made them all the more hilarious. Tabala Naani is also amazing," remarked journalist Sanath Kumar, who is one of the producers of the film.

Jaggesh said he was very happy with Eddelu Manjunatha.

"The audience will definitely see a different me in the film. I will be serious while delivering the dialogues but it will make people laugh. It is the story of a disciplined wife and her indisciplined, lazy husband. My wife jokingly says that it is the real me you see in the film," laughed Jaggesh.

Eddelu Manjunatha's heroine Yagna Shetty is also quite excited about the film. Incidentally, she is also there in Love Guru.

"In Eddelu Manjunatha, I play the role of a traditional woman who wants to change her incorrigible husband. I weep continuously in the film. But in Love Guru, I play the role of a modern girl who is extremely confident of herself and quite assertive. I am keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that I will be appreciated in both the films," said a nervous Yagna.