Gandhinagar Gossip

Veena Malik in the film Dirty Picture

Screaming out loud

Puneet Raj Kumar, whose TV programme Kannadadha Kotyaadhipathi aired in Suvarna TV has become hugely popular, has started work on Yaare Koogadali, a home production. The film, which also stars Yogish, is already being shot in Bangalore. Raghavendra Raj Kumar, who has been supervising the production, says the film’s shoot will be completed in one stretch. Incidentally, the film is a remake of Tamil hit Porali , which was directed by Samuththirakani, who is also directing the Kannada remake. Samuththirakani had directed Nadodigal , which was remade later in Kannada by Vajreshwari Combines with the title Hudugru, with Puneet Raj Kumar. Sugumar is the cinematographer, Hari Krishna is the music director. Bhavana and Sindhu Lokanath play the leading ladies.

Getting down and dirty

Controversial Pakistan actress Veena Mallik has completed her talkie portions for the film

Dirty Picture directed by Thrishool. Akshay is the hero. Mallik has left for Mumbai and will be coming back for the songs, some of which will be shot in Colombo. All the scenes featuring Veena Mallik have been shot at breakneck speed. “However we have not compromised anything during the making of the film. I am sure the sequences have turned out very well,” says Thrishool. Veena Mallik is also happy about the response she received from people during the shooting schedule in Bangalore.

Bhat’s next offering

Writer and director Yogaraj Bhat has completed the shooting of his recent film

Drama except for one song featuring leads, Yash and Radhika Pandit. The film is produced by Jayanna and Bhogeendra. Yogaraj Bhat has written and directed this film, which will not be like his previous romantic comedies; he says this one has multiple artists, including Rebel Star Ambareesh, who plays a doll seller. Ambareesh’s song, which is the title song, has already become popular even before the audio was released, because many news channels have been using it to connote the present political climate of the state. Bhat has shot most of the film outdoors in Mysore, villages in Mandya district and also in the coastal areas from Mangalore to Kundapur. S. Krishna who had worked with Bhat in his blockbuster

Mungaru Maley is back after a long gap. Hari Krishna’s songs will sing a new tune, promises Yogaraj Bhat. Neenasam Sathish, who made a big impression in films like

Pancharangi and

Lifeu Ishtene plays second lead, with Sindhu Lokanath.

Good times are here

Suddenly the fortunes of the Kannada film industry seem to be on the upward swing. Look at the smiles of Kannada film personalities happily announcing the huge success stories of medium budget films like the Arjun-directed Adhdhuri starring debutant Dhruv and Radhika Pandit, and the Srini Raju-directed Dandupalya with Pooja Gandhi playing a negative role.

Despite the huge collections for Sudeep’s Telugu film Eega, the craze for Adhdhuri has not dropped, which has come as a satisfactory development to people in the industry. And now even Romeo’ s collections seem to be improving in its second week. And what can the beleaguered Kannada industry ask for in its worst times when films of big stars failed to attract fans, while smaller budget films are making it big at the box office.