A song from the Kannada film ‘Rudrabhishekam,’ which is based on the cultural folk tradition of Veeragase and the history of Veerabhadra Deva, was recently released at an event.
The film is written and directed by Vasanth Kumar, who has handled the story, screenplay, and dialogues. Vijay Raghavendra and Priyanka Thimmesh play the lead roles in the film. The shooting and post-production work of the film have already been completed.
HOPCOMS president Chandregowda released the song and extended his wishes to the team. In the film, Vijay Raghavendra plays a Veeragase artist and will also be seen in a dual role as father and son for the first time in his career.
Speaking at the event, producer K. Venkatesh said the team members were friends from Vijayapura and that they liked the story when Vasanth Kumar narrated it to them. He added that Vijay Raghavendra had supported the team throughout the project and also provided suggestions. He further said actor Bala Rajawadi had performed the Gowdru character effectively.
Vijay Raghavendra said portraying a Veeragase artist was challenging and that he approached the role through experience and preparation. He added that the story connects incidents from his ancestors’ time with the present generation and that he has portrayed both father and son characters in the film.
Actress Priyanka Thimmesh said she agreed to the project for three reasons and added that she appears in the film as a devotee of Lord Shiva, as well as in village and city-based character shades. Music director V. Manohar said he had given opportunities to emerging Kannada singers in the film and introduced the singers during the event.
‘Rudrabhishekam’ is the first production of Fan India Creations. The film has been jointly produced by Manjunath K. N., N. Jayaramappa, K. Venkatesh, B. Chidananda Murthy, Suresh Babu, B. K. Ashwath Narayan, Shivakumar, K. S. Ravikumar, and Kusuma Vasanth Kumar.
Director Vasanth Kumar said the aim of the film is to take the folk art tradition connected to spirituality and culture to households across the state. He also stated that Vijay Raghavendra extended strong support to the project. He added that he too plays a philosopher in the film and appears in two different get-ups throughout the story alongside the father and son characters. The film was shot for more than 50 days in locations around Devanahalli and coastal regions including Gokarna, Honnavar, Kumta, Abbakka Fort, and the Aghanashini backwaters. According to the makers, some of the locations featured in the film have not been used previously for shooting.
The film explores the significance and history of the Veeragase folk tradition, which has a history spanning several centuries. The central theme of the film revolves around Veerabhadra Deva, including his origin and the reasons behind his emergence. The cast also includes Bala Rajawadi, V. Manohar, Manu, Sanath, Bullet Vinu, Mamatha Turuvekere, Navaneetha Shetty, and Manjula in important roles. The film has music by V. Manohar and cinematography by Muthuraj.
