Prem recreates old Rajkumar song for The Villain

Director Prem has always gotten attention for the innovation he brings to his films, and now, he is creating a similar buzz for his upcoming film, The Villain, in which he’s taking a whole new approach. While the two leading actors, Shivarajkumar and Sudeep, will be seen in different avatars in the film, Prem creates a nostalgic mood in a scene starring Shivarajkumar and Amy Jackson, in which the audience will remember Jeeva Hoovagide Bhava Jenagide from the film Nee Nanna Gelalare, starring Rajkumar and Manjula.

A picture that CE got hold of has Shivarajkumar as a younger version of Rajkumar, and Amy as Manjula. Prem has replicated the costumes too -- a safari suit and a white saree. “Though I tried to keep it a secret, a few pictures got leaked somehow, and I can’t undo that. I've managed to keep Sudeep’s new look a secret, but this went out of my hands,” says Prem, who is excited about this particular sequence, and adds it blends with the story.

“It will be a tribute to all Rajkumar and Shivarajkumar fans when they see the actor channelling his father’s look. It is like seeing Rajkumar on screen. I have watched the sequence at least 15 times from morning, and can’t get enough of if. In fact, Amy, while watching the monitor, was jumping all over excitedly. She watched the song sequence and tried to emote in the same way, she is too good in the sequence,” he says.

With the current schedule wrapping up in five days, Prem will be completing the talkie portions of The Villain, and will be left with four songs - two each with Shivanna and Sudeep. “Amy has a song with Sudeep, for which she will be back next month,” says Prem.

The Villain, produced by CR Manohar, comes with a huge star cast, including Mithun Chakraborty and Telugu actor Srikanth. The film has music by Arjun Janya and cinematography by Gire.