Actor Rana Daggubati will next be seen in the upcoming trilingual Kaadan in Tamil and Aranya in Telugu in which he plays a mahout. The film, being directed by Prabhu Solomon, will be a modern-day take on Rajesh Khanna’s yesteryear classic Haathi Mere Saathi, which seems to be a film about animal rights.
The film, which was scheduled to have a nationwide release on April 2, 2020 and was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, will now hit the screens on Makar Sankranti in January next year in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. "Be a part of this thrilling battle with 'Haathi Mere Saathi', releasing in theatres on Makar Sankranti 2021," the makers said in a statement on Wednesday.
Rana took to Twitter and shared a new motion poster of the film. "Life begins and the jungle roars #HaathiMereSaathi, in theatres on Makar Sankranti 2021!" the actor tweeted.
Life begins and the jungle roars #HaathiMereSaathi, in theatres on Makar Sankranti 2021 !! pic.twitter.com/asCKo9MIB1
— Rana Daggubati (@RanaDaggubati) October 21, 2020
Bankrolled by Eros International, the film has extensive VFX sequences which have been done by Prana Studios. This is the same studio behind Hollywood biggies, such as Life Of Pi and Thor, and the Bollywood film Detective Bymokesh Bakshi.
The film also stars Vishnu Vishal alongside Rana Daggubati in the Tamil and Telugu versions of the film. This film will mark Vishnu Vishal's Telugu debut. Though it’s a multi-starrer, he has a few combination scenes with Rana. The film has Shriya Pilgaonkar and Zoya Hussain in important roles. The film also features Pulkit Samrat and Raghu Babu in pivotal roles.
Before joining the sets of the film, Rana spent around two weeks with elephants in Thailand and he also shed 15 kilos to play his part. The film has been shot extensively in Thailand, Kerala and Delhi.
The film, contrary to rumours, won’t be a remake of the classic. The only similarity between the two films, according to a source from the film’s unit, will be the bond between elephants and humans. The storyline of all three films has been inspired by the unfortunate event of humans encroaching the elephant corridors in Kaziranga, Assam. Rana Daggubati essays the role of a 50-year-old man who seems to be living in the jungle.
The cinematography is by A R Ashok Kumar while the technical crew comprises music director Shanthanu Moitra and editor Bhuvan Srinivasan.
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