The highly ambitious film by actor and social activist Ganesh Rao Kesarkar, in his debut production Tharakeshwara, unveiled two engaging trailers at a packed gathering at Sri Renukamba Digital Theater on Monday evening.
This devotional film, centered around the theme of Asura Shakthi, features Ganesh Rao Kesarkar in four distinct roles. Vedanta Acharya Sri Manjunath Bharati Swami released the first trailer, while Kannada Film Producers Association President Umesh Bankar released the second, extending best wishes to the team. Notable attendees included the President of the Directors Association, NRK Vishwanath; President of Dr. Ambedkar Sena, Murthy; and President of the Kannada Association, Basavaraja Padukote. The film’s tagline is noted as “Asura Kulatilaka.”
Speaking about the film, Ganesh Rao Kesarkar stated, “Our movie is ready to hit the screens. The censors appreciated it and granted a ‘U’ certificate without objecting to any scene. I have always prioritized creating quality content over profits, producing this film as a gift to Kannadigas. The esteemed guests present today are here out of their love for me. Creating a mythological film is challenging, with not even a light pole visible on set. Through this experience, I understand the challenges producers face.” Kesarkar, a veteran in Kannada cinema, added, “In a new initiative, we have pre-printed tickets priced at one hundred rupees. Those who purchase these tickets can watch the film in any district or taluk center in Karnataka. With your support, I have now completed 333 films.”
At the event, the invitees honored the producer’s request by purchasing several tickets on the spot, amounting to an estimated fifty thousand rupees. The dignitaries also unveiled a commemorative stamp with the image of Tarakeshwar, produced by the Indian Postal Department.
Purushottam Omkar, who wrote and directed the story, screenplay, dialogues, and lyrics, explained that Tharakeshwara is inspired by the Shiv Purana. The film follows Tarakasura, a demon who, seeking revenge for his father’s death, obtains a boon from Brahma to evade death. The story unfolds through a series of captivating events. Ganesh Rao Kesarkar portrays four characters: Shiva, Kuruda, Tarakeswara, and Maharaja, while his son Prajwal Kesarkar appears as Indra. Omkar shared that the filming took place in Bangalore, Srirangapatna, and Mysore.
Rupali plays the role of the king’s daughter, a devoted follower of Shiva and Parvati. Child actress Ritusparsha appears as Bala Subrahmanya, who vanquishes Tarakeswara. The cast includes Sumitha Praveen, Annapurna, Vikramsuri, Namitha Rao as Ratimanmath, Shankarabhat, Sreevishnu, Jimshivu, NT Ramaswamy, Gururaj, Hejaji Mahadeva, Basavarajadesai, Virendra Bellichukki, Madhu Karthik, Geeta, Rajeshwari Pandey, Raksha Gowda, Ranjitha, Sriram, and Rupa, among others.
Producers include Tuljabai, Rup. S. Dodmani, Dr. Sumita Praveen, and Basavaraj Desai. The film’s music is composed by Raj Bhaskar, with cinematography by Muthuraj, editing by Anil Kumar, dance choreography by Kapil, and production management by Deepak Babu.
