Director Nagathihalli Chandrashekar has announced ‘America America 2’, nearly 30 years after the release of his 1990s hit ‘America America’. While the new film carries the same title with the addition of “2,” the director clarified that it is not a sequel and features an entirely new story.
The film stars Nirup Bhandari, Shanvi Srivastava and Prithvi Ambaar in the lead roles. The title was unveiled at a recent event, followed by a press conference attended by the film’s team.
Speaking at the event, Nagathihalli Chandrashekar said every new story is inspired by older stories and noted that while many filmmakers describe their work as new, stories often evolve from existing ideas. Referring to his 1990s film ‘America America’, he said the new project has been titled ‘America America 2’ but is not a continuation of the earlier film.
He said the new film has three central characters, but they are different from Surya, Bhoomi and Shashank, the characters from the original film. According to him, the film can be described as woman-centric, with Shanvi Srivastava playing the central role. He also said Nirup Bhandari and Prithvi Ambaar play important characters.
The director said shooting has already been completed. The film is based on a novel by Sahana Vijaykumar. It features four songs composed by Mano Murthy, while Nakul Abhyankar has composed the background score. Cinematographer S.K. Rao has shot the film in the United States, and editor Sri Crazy Minds has also captured visuals using drones. The film has been produced under the Nagathihalli Cine Creations banner. Chandrashekar said more details about the project will be announced in the coming days.
Nirup Bhandari said Nagathihalli Chandrashekar narrated the story to him at his office and that hearing the title itself made him want to be part of the project. He recalled watching the original ‘America America’ in theatres nearly 30 years ago. He said that although the new film is not a continuation of the earlier one, its story and characters will remain memorable. He also said he was pleased with his role and thanked the director for the opportunity.
Shanvi Srivastava said she was attending a press conference after a long time. She said she had not played a role like this in her 13-year film career and thanked the director for offering her the character. She also appreciated the performances of her co-actors and the work of the film’s technicians.
Prithvi Ambaar said Nagathihalli Chandrashekar continues to inspire others with his enthusiasm despite his age. He said ‘America America’ remains memorable for its songs, visuals and dialogues and expressed happiness at being part of a film with the same title directed by Chandrashekar.
Shobha Nagathihalli Chandrashekar, who is overseeing the production, cinematographer S.K. Rao, editor Sri Crazy Minds and several other technicians also shared their experiences of working on ‘America America 2’ during the press conference.
