Football-themed films are rare in Kannada cinema. Now, actor-director Tej, known for Rewind and Ramachari 2.0, is taking on this challenge with Dude, a football-centric film. This project introduces 12 new female leads to the Kannada film industry. Having completed half of the film’s shoot, Tej recently launched the songs at an event held at MMB Legacy. Meghana Raj, a close relative of Tej, released the songs, with directors Hari Santu and Praveen Nayak also present.
Speaking at the event, Meghana Raj said, “Our family always supports Tej’s endeavors. When he wanted me to release the songs, I immediately agreed. When he first told us about making a sports film, we wondered if it would be like Chak De! India or the Tamil film Bigil. Watching the songs, various sports-themed films come to mind, but Tej always has his unique vision. He puts immense effort into every project and believes in himself. I hope this film succeeds.”
Director-actor Tej expressed, “I have done eight films so far, but this one is personally special as it highlights women’s strength. Making this film was my dream, and my entire team has supported it. During my discussions with Raghavendra Rajkumar while working on Ramachari 2.0, he mentioned that Appu (Puneeth Rajkumar) loved football and strongly believed in women’s empowerment. These two aspects inspired me to make this film, which we are dedicating to Puneeth Rajkumar. We have already completed 50% of the shoot, and we plan to release it in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam by the end of this year.”
Tej further added, “Talent and luck are not the only factors for success—persistent effort can help achieve victory. In this story, I am not the coach; Rangayana Raghu plays the role of a coach, and through his training, I am compelled to become one. Interestingly, Raghavendra Rajkumar is playing a role close to his real-life persona. The film follows a group of young women from different parts of Karnataka who have no prior knowledge of football, yet come together as a team to chase their dreams. The story revolves around how they turn their aspirations into reality. There is also a football tournament named after Appu.”
Produced under the Panoramic Studios banner, Dude is written, directed, and acted by Tej. The film also stars Sanya Kaveramma, Raghavendra Rajkumar, Rangayana Raghu, Sundar Raj, Vijay Chendoor, and Sparsha Rekha. The music is composed by Emil Mohammad, with cinematography by Prem.
