Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil mystery thriller Kamal Sridevi has been officially announced. The film marks the return of Karnataka Agriculture Minister Cheluvarayaswamy’s son, Sachin, to the silver screen. The film is produced by the Minister’s wife, Smt. Dhanalakshmi BK, under the banners of Swarnambika Pictures and Barn Swallow.
Clarifying recent assumptions, the makers stated that the title Kamal Sridevi refers to the name of the lead character in the film and has no connection to the controversy involving Dr. Kamal Haasan regarding the Kannada language. Notably, Kamal Haasan and Sridevi have worked together in over 25 films, but this film holds no reference to their association.
Actor Sachin, who made his debut in 2016 with Happy Birthday and later appeared in Bengaluru Boys, said that the title Kamal Sridevi was finalised a year and a half ago. Executive producer Rajavardhan, who also heads Barn Swallow, is associated with the production, while Cheluvarayaswamy N presents the film.
Sachin credited his training under Raghu Shimoga and director Sunil Kumar for preparing him for the role. He also mentioned that the film took shape because of Rajavardhan. The film’s concept originated with Lohith and was later developed under the direction of Sunil Kumar, suggested by Rajavardhan. Over 70% of the shoot has been completed. The story revolves around a crime that connects all characters, and its unfolding and resolution form the core of the thriller.
Rajavardhan, son of actor Dingri Nagaraj, recently launched his company Barn Swallow, which also produced Jaava. Speaking about Kamal Sridevi, Rajavardhan said he felt responsible for the project and that the story made him visualise Sachin as the lead. The film’s title rights were previously held by Gombegala Love director Santosh and were acquired for this project. The film features seven characters symbolising seven animals and birds. The first poster, created by Pani Studio, has generated a positive response. Rajavardhan added that the film’s theme reflects a reality-based hard truth.
This is director V.A. Sunil’s second film after Gajarama, which starred Rajavardhan. The film includes two songs and two action sequences choreographed by Arjun and Shivu. Sunil Kumar stated that the title’s code has relevance to law books and that the film is a murder mystery.
Veteran actor M.S. Umesh, who plays an ATM watchman representing a tortoise in the film, said the project has been handled with care and that the suspenseful storyline is interesting with a unique subject.
Cinematographer Nagesh Acharya, regarded as the first digital cameraman in Kannada cinema, spoke about his 12-year journey with digital filming. He noted that while digital production is convenient today, it requires more footage, which increases production costs. However, for Kamal Sridevi, the work was smooth as everything was planned on paper before the shoot.
Music director Keerthan has composed one romantic melody and a background track for the film.
Actors Praveen Jain, Raghu Shimoga, Karan Nair, and Akshita Bopaiah, who plays a confident and strong woman in the story, also shared their thoughts during the poster launch event.
Actress Sangeetha Bhat, who plays the role of Sridevi, was absent from the media briefing. Overseas distributor Peter, after the success of Kaatera, plans to release Kamal Sridevi in Gulf countries.
The cast also includes actors Kishor, Ramesh Indira, and others.
