Yograj Bhat has moved on after getting drenched in the sweet success of “Mungaaru Maley”. With expectations sky high and producers clamouring to sign him Yograj signed on the dotted line to direct a film co-produced by A.M. Ratnam. The re muneration he’s received is nearly as much as the budget of a Kannada film a couple of years ago. In a last minute change Puneet pulled out and “Golden Star” Ganesh replaced him. The other heroes are Diganth and the singer Rajesh Krishnan. “It’s about three youngsters , their angst and ambitions. They meet and fall for girls diametrically opposite in temperament and tastes,” says the director who had a narration for his cast and crew and invited them to be frank in their opinions. The Muhurath of the film was held at Kanteerava stadium earlier this week. Director Linguswamy played clapper boy while Sudeep directed the first shot. A brief shot of the title song was canned with the three heroes shaking a leg. Ganesh was besieged by autograph hunters and the media. Nikita, who’s acted in a few Tamil and Malayalam films is Ganesh’s heroine. Loud applause awaited Preetam who co-wrote “Mungaaru Maley”. The stage was crowded with luminaries. Everyone wished the director more success than his last film. Sa.Ra. Govindu struck a discordant note complaining that Yograj was making a film for outsiders with technicians from neighbouring states. Someone should remind Mr. Govindu that most of the films he produced were remakes of hits in other languages. Linguistic chauvinism should never act as a constraint in an artistic endeavour.
Yograj Bhat has launched his next film Gaalipata
With the month of Ashada around the corner there’s a dearth of auspicious days and films are being launched in a hurry. Director Mahesh, after “Aakash” and “Arasu” has signed Prajwal and a medical student, Andita Raj. The Ganesha Temple on Bull Temple road is a favourite among filmmakers for muhuraths and there was a throng inside the sanctum sanctorum. Prajwal is still recovering from a fractured ankle and was seen limping around. The petite heroine who’s featured in plenty of advertisements sported a nervous smile. Mahesh, unlike others, admits that it’s the usual love story with lots of entertainment. Candour is a rarity among film directors. Mahesh was supposed to direct Prajwal’s launch vehicle but was busy with “Aakash”. Prajwal, by the way is a die-hard fan of Puneet. Mahesh, for a change had invited the wives of the three sons of Raj Kumar to do the honours. Only Raghavendra Raj Kumar was there to wish the director among the males. Shooting starts next month after Prajwal recovers and finishes “Gelaya”.
S.SHIVA KUMAR
sshivu@yahoo.com
