Actor Sumukha, who began his career with a role in the multistarrer Yaana (2019), has come a long way. His credits include a critically acclaimed performance in Physics Teacher (2022) and now director Yogaraj Bhat's Manada Kadalu. He views Manada Kadalu as a "relaunch" and a significant step into the commercial space. "My first two films were more of an attempt," Sumukha shares. "Initially, I didn’t have the opportunity to enter the commercial space, but this film gave me that chance. I went through the audition process and didn’t expect to be part of such a big project."

For Sumukha, being a part of Manada Kadalu feels like a huge opportunity, especially given the prestigious combination of E Krishnappa and Yogaraj Bhat, the director of the blockbuster Mungaru Male. The two are reuniting after 18 years, and Sumukha is thrilled to be involved in the project. "All that Yogaraj Bhat looked for from me was my voice, followed by auditions, and then everything fell into place," he explains.

Having completed shooting and now in the dubbing phase, Sumukha talks about his experience working in the film. "I expected to get such a film five years into my career, but it came early. It was a big surprise for me," he admits. "The scale of the set and working with experienced professionals was overwhelming. I learnt a lot from the way the director treated me. It was a wonderful learning experience."

Manada Kadalu is set for an early 2025 release. In the lead, Sumukha stars alongside Anjali Anish and Rashika Shetty in the film, with music by V Harikrishna and cinematography by Santhosh Rai Pathaje.