“Puneeth Nivasa,” a film that tells the story of a poor fan who builds a house inspired by the ideals of Puneeth Rajkumar—the beloved icon of Kannadigas—is set to release on April 24, marking Dr. Rajkumar’s birth anniversary.
The film is produced by S. Mohan under the banner of Shripanchami Cine Creations, who is himself a devoted fan of Puneeth. The story and screenplay are written by Nagendra Prasad, who has also directed the film. Kannada Raju has been a strong support system for the entire team.
The story revolves around Mallu, an orphan and ardent fan of Puneeth, who works as a construction laborer. He helps his employer sell a house and receives a commission of ₹5 lakh. With that money, he builds his dream home—“Puneeth Nivasa.” When he enters the house, he begins to see Puneeth himself. How and why he sees him forms the core curiosity of the film.
The narrative also explores whether Mallu, who dreams of making a film, succeeds in doing so or not, and whether his aspirations inspired by Puneeth’s ideals come true.
Producer S. Mohan, inspired by the ideals of both Rajkumar and Puneeth, revealed that he developed around 50 stories just for the title before finalizing this one as the most suitable.
The film also highlights how a poor boy, after saving money, eventually strives to create his dream film. Mohan mentioned that several scenes were developed collaboratively on set along with the director.
Veteran actor Abhijith plays a key role in the film. Reflecting his admiration for Puneeth’s ideals, producer Mohan even constructed a real house for the shooting instead of using a set.
Master Vitthal appears in the role of Mallu. The film also features senior actors Shankar Bhat, Gandasi Sadananda Swamy, Karisubbu, Shreyas, Aishwarya, M. S. Umesh, Dingri Nagaraj, Tennis Krishna, Rekha Das, Ganesh Rao Kesarkar, and others in prominent roles.
The film’s technical team includes cinematography by S. Balu, music by M. N. Krupakar, dialogues by Jem Shivu, and editing by Mutturaj.
