One of Kannada cinema’s prominent character artists, Ganesh Rao Kesarkar, is transitioning into a producer after acting in 333 films—a significant milestone in his career. Ganesh Rao Kesarkar first received praise for his role as ‘Tarakeshwara’ from veteran actor Srinivasa Murthy, the dynamic and experienced actor known for his portrayal of Bhojaraja in Kavirathna Kalidasa. This recognition brought immense joy to Ganesh Rao.
On Wednesday evening, under the GR Films banner, six songs from the film Tarakeshwara were unveiled by dignitaries at a well-attended event.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Dr. CN Aswath Narayan launched the GR Films banner and wished the team success. Following this, KFCC President NM Suresh unveiled the film’s title, while veteran director Sai Prakash launched the title song, which is available on Siri Music.
At the same event, veteran director Om Saiprakash, who has helmed 101 films, addressed the gathering and spoke about the challenges involved in making a film like Tarakeshwara. He also expressed gratitude to Dr. Ashwath Narayan for assisting him during a health crisis by arranging discounted tests at Padmasri Clinic.
Karnataka Television Association President Ravi R Garani, Directors Association President NRK Vishwanath, and others such as Jayasimha Musuri, S Harish, Basavaraj Padukote, and Manoj Kumar were present. The film’s tagline reads “Asura Kulatilaka.”
According to Purushottam Omkar—who wrote, directed, and handled the screenplay, dialogues, and lyrics—the inspiration for Tarakeshwara stemmed from a single line about Tarakasura in the Shiv Purana. Tarakasura, though a demon, seeks revenge and obtains a boon from Brahma that grants him immortality under certain conditions. The film explores how he is ultimately challenged, using engaging situations. Ganesh Rao Kesarkar’s son, Prajwal Kesarkar, plays the role of Indra, with shooting locations including Bangalore, Srirangapatna, and Mysore.
Ganesh Rao shared his joy at playing the lead role in Tarakeshwara, mentioning how the support of his close friends, who came forward to invest in the project, made the transition into producing smoother. He expressed pride in appearing in the title role, after his success in Siddharameshwar, where the idea for Tarakeshwara was born during the editing of Gange Gauri.
Veteran actor Srinivasamurthy, present to support his protégé Purushottam Omkar, emphasized the importance of an actor’s personality matching the character they portray. He praised Ganesh Rao Kesarkar for excelling in the role, stating that 50% of the success comes from the look, makeup, and costume, and the other 50% from his performance and dialogue delivery. Known for his forthrightness, Srinivasamurthy’s endorsement holds great weight, especially considering his legacy in mythological and historical films.
Rupali, playing Parvati, delivered an outstanding performance in the songs. Child actress Ritusparsha took on the role of Subramanya, who defeats Tarakeshwara. The film also features performances by Sumitha Praveen, Annapurna, Vikramsuri, Namitha Rao as Rati-Manmatha, Shankara Bhat, Sreevishnu, Jimshivu, NT Ramaswamy, and many more.
Producers include Tuljabai, Rup S. Dodmani, Dr. Sumita Praveen, and Basavaraj Desai. The technical team for Tarakeshwara comprises music director Rajbhaskar, cinematographer Muthuraj, editor Anil Kumar, and choreographer Kapil.
