The shooting of the Upendra starrer Kabza was scheduled to begin in October this year, but unfortunately, the film’s director R Chandru and his family tested COVID-19-positive, due to which the shooting had to be postponed. This was indeed a big drawback for the project, and Upendra’s fans have been waiting eagerly for updates. The latest development is that the shooting of Kabza will recommence this month. Fans are very happy with this news, and are waiting for more information regarding the film. Expectations from Kabza are high, as R Chandru and Upendra are working together for the third time, after the box office successes I Love You and Brahma.
Kabza, according to reports, will revolve around the life of a powerful underworld don played by Upendra. The film is set in the 1980s, and will feature a bevy of stars from various film industries including Jagapathi Babu, Prakash Raj, Jayaprakash Reddy, Pradeep Rawat, Manoj Bajpai, Samuthirakani and Nana Patekar. Shooting will happen in various locations in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Madurai and Mangaluru. The film is bankrolled by MTB Nagaraju under the banner Sri Siddeshwara Entertainments. Kabza’s music is composed by Ravi Basrur, with Arjun Shetty handling the cinematography. Plans are on to release Kabza in seven languages including Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi and Bengali, with plans to also dub it in Chinese.
During the first schedule, shot before the lockdown, an important action block was filmed at the Minerva Mills in Bengaluru. About eight sets were erected by the art director, and the stunts choreographed by Ravi Varma were filmed. Reports are that several gunmen, sharpshooters and stuntmen were roped in for this sequence, and the weapons used for the scene alone cost the producers Rs 20 lakh per day. This fight sequence will be the highlight of the film, report sources close to the film unit.
Upendra’s last film release was I Love You in 2019, which was also directed by R Chandru. The film, which was bankrolled by R Chandru under his banner Sri Siddeshwara Enterprises, starred Upendra and Rachita Ram as the lead pair. Sonu Gowda played a pivotal role in this flick, besides a host of actors in supporting roles. The technical crew of I Love You included music by Kiran Thotambyle and cinematography by Sugnaan, with Deepu S Kumar doing the edits. The Telugu version of this film was released in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to positive reviews.
I Love You hit the marquee last year, and had a good run at the box office, completing 50 days. The film was made on a budget of Rs 30 million and it is reported that it went on to collect Rs 95 million at the box office.
There are reports that Upendra has Buddhivantha 2, directed by Maurya DN, in his kitty. While the title gave rise to speculations that it may be a sequel to Upendra’s hit movie Buddhivantha, the director confirmed that it is not so. Upendra will be playing dual roles in this film, say sources.
(Content provided by Digital Native)