Puneeth Rajkumar is now focussing on Yuva Ratna which is progressing steadily. The film is directed by Santosh Ananddram, who had collaborated earlier with Puneeth to deliver the smash hit Rajakumaraa. The film is bankrolled by Karthik Gowda under the banner Hombale Films. The production house had recently tasted success with KGF starring Yash. Yuva Ratna has Sayyesha playing the female lead, this being her first film in the Kannada film industry. V Harikrishna is composing the music for the film.
Puneeth will be seen as a college student in Yuva Ratna, we hear. The title comes with the tagline ‘Power of Youth’ which gives an indication that the film could have a political touch. The star cast also includes Prakash Raj in an important role and sources say that he may appear either as a college principal or professor. Dhananjay will be seen as the main villain with Radhika Sarathkumar also roped in for a pivotal role. Yuva Ratna is likely to hit the marquee later this year.
While the film is in progress, reports have emerged that Puneeth’s next maybe a film adapted from the novel Kanakangi Kalyana, written by Kum Veerabhadrappa. Sources in the know say that Puneeth’s late mother Parvathamma Rajkumar, a well-known producer in the Kannada film industry, had shown interest in making a film based on the novel. While it is still very early to speculate on who would direct the film, sources say that Krishna and Duniya Soori are in the fray to wield the megaphone.
Meanwhile, Puneeth will be presenting the Ravi Basrur directorial Girmit, which will be out in five languages. Titled Girmit in Kannada, the film’s title will be Pakka Mass in Hindi and Telugu, and Podi Mass in Tamil and Malayalam. According to the latest reports, plans are on to release its English dubbed version as well. The film, which has about 280 child artistes playing different roles, will be a unique experience for movie buffs. The film is produced by NS Rajkumar and Ravi Basrur under the banners Omkar Movies and Ravi Basrur Movies.
(Content provided by Digital Native)