Renowned actress Harshika Poonacha steps into direction with the film Chi Soujanya, produced by Kamsale Films and Bhuvan Entertainment. The film, centered around the struggles of oppressed women, features multilingual actor Kishore in a pivotal role.
Harshika Poonacha, widely recognized for her stellar performances and social work, is now donning the director’s hat. With only a handful of female directors in Kannada cinema, Harshika joins their ranks. Recently, the title launch event of Chi Soujanya, directed by Harshika Poonacha and produced under the banners of Kamsale Films and Bhuvan Entertainment by Madhu Mariswamy and Bhuvan Ponnanna, was held. Starring Kishore in the lead role, the film aims to raise awareness about the atrocities faced by women in the country. The tagline of the film reads “A Woman’s Story.”
During the event, the team shared their thoughts. “In India, over 36,000 women fall victim to sexual assault every year—an average of 100 cases per day. Though cases are registered and trials take place, justice is rarely served. Harshika and I have personally witnessed such cases and fought for justice alongside thousands of people. We believe cinema is a powerful medium to create awareness, which is why we decided to produce this film. This socially relevant film carries a strong message, and I, along with Madhu Mariswamy, am co-producing it. When we narrated the story to Kishore, he immediately agreed to be a part of it,” said Bhuvan Ponnanna.
“This is our company’s second production, with Bhuvan Entertainment joining us. Chi Soujanya, directed by Harshika Poonacha, will be released in five languages. The film features Kishore, Ugram Manju, Cockroach Sudhi, Yash Shetty, and more. Arun Suresh handles the cinematography,” said producer Madhu Mariswamy.
Harshika Poonacha shared her experience “I was always known as an actress, and I had a desire to produce a film. But I never imagined I would direct one. Both Bhuvan and I have been actively fighting against women’s oppression. I wanted to make a socially relevant film, and my husband Bhuvan, along with producer Madhu Mariswamy, encouraged me by saying, ‘Women understand the pain of other women better than men do. You should direct this film.’ This is not based on just one incident but highlights several real-life atrocities. Our protagonist is named Soujanya. As soon as we finalized the story, the first actor who came to our minds was Kishore, and he immediately agreed to be a part of it. Bigg Boss fame Ugram Manju, Cockroach Sudhi, and Yash Shetty are also part of the cast. Today, we unveiled only the title and poster. The shoot will commence in two months, and we will share more details soon. I hope to receive your support for my directorial debut,” she said.
Actor Kishore, who plays a police officer in the film, expressed his thoughts “No matter how many such incidents occur in our country, we often remain indifferent, thinking it hasn’t affected our own family. But every victim is someone’s daughter or sister. We need to change our perspective. When such topics are conveyed through cinema, they reach people more effectively. I appreciate the producers for taking up such a significant subject, and I commend Harshika for choosing a socially relevant theme for her directorial debut,” he said.
Actors Ugram Manju and Cockroach Sudhi also shared their thoughts “Producer Madhu called us for this film, and we are proud to be part of a project with such a powerful social message,” they said.
