It is very rare to find an entire family involved in the making of a film these days! Here comes Rickshaw Chalaka, a Kannada film dedicated to all rickshaw drivers in Karnataka, with all four members of a family working in various departments.
Sharavathi Shashikumar, the mother of the hero and director, is the producer. Shashi Arakshak, husband of Sharavathi, has handled the story, screenplay, and composed songs for this film. The eldest son of Ayush Cine Creations – Ayush Shashikumar – is the screenplay writer and director. The youngest in the family, Chiranth, makes his debut as the hero in Rickshaw Chalaka.
The songs and trailer of this film were released at Sri Renukamba Digital Theater, marking the team’s first publicity event. A dancer since 1993 in over 200 films and dance director for more than 15 films, Shashi Arakshak has guided his sons well and brought them into the tinsel town. He used to take his children to various shooting spots, and eventually crafted a strong subject to launch both his sons — one as a director and the other as an actor.
According to Ayush Shashikumar and lead actor Chiranth, the film portrays the life and journey of auto rickshaw drivers with various emotions in a family-oriented narrative. Having studied at Cinema Star Institute, Ayush moved ahead with different aspects of filmmaking. The plight of auto rickshaw drivers and their families during the lockdown inspired him to take up this subject. The shooting has been completed in Mysuru, Varna, Saligrama, Murudeshwara, and other locations. The film has received a U/A certificate from the regional censor board.
Dharmachari is the co-producer of the film and also introduces his son Darshan, who plays the role of a village-based friend of the protagonist.
Nandini plays the role of a widow in the film, which highlights how society treats such individuals. Naveen makes his debut as the villain. The supporting cast includes Mimicry Gopi, Balarajawadi, Harini, Chandraprabha, Vinod Gobragala, Rajani, Muniswamy, and others.
Vedanth Athishaya Jain has given the final touches to the tunes composed by Shashi Arakshak. The film features four songs, including one dedicated to Power Star and Karnataka Rathna Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar.
Meanwhile, auto drivers’ associations across Karnataka have extended their support to the film. Two such associations have come forward to officially back Rickshaw Chalaka.
The film’s editing is by Vamshi, stunts are directed by V Ram Dev, choreography by Shashi Arakshak, and cinematography by Anand.
