Pooja Gandhi of Mungaru Male fame will act in a Tulu movie for the first time. She is in the city to attend the “muhurtha” of the cinema at Surathkal on Friday.
The cinema will also feature senior actors Umashree and Leelavathi.
Ms. Gandhi said at a press conference here on Thursday that she would play the role of “raja narthaki” in
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“I have taken it as a challenge though I cannot speak Tulu. I will try to learn the language quickly,'' she said.
The film is after Tulu warrior Devapoonja who lived 400 years ago. R. Dhanraj, who produced the award-winning Tulu film Koti-Chennaya, will produce and direct the new film.
The shooting will begin on Friday at Panambur Kantheri Dhumavathi Daivasthana at Surathkal. He said that the film would have five songs by writer Amruth Someshwar. The story and dialogues would be by Mr. Someshwar, Bottikere Purushothama, a Yakshagana bhagawatha, and Kadri Navneetha Shetty. Mr. Dhanraj said that R. Siddarth would play the role of Devapoonja.
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Ms. Umashree would play the role of Devapoonja's mother. Mr. Shetty said that as per relics, Devapoonja lived in Bangady, Venoor and Nandavara before he died in a battle against the chieftain of Neeleshwara (in Kerala) at Uchhila.