Sulochana from Someshwara (Su from So) begins with a whisper from the past, a familiar name from the coastal lanes, and a tale that straddles the worlds of the living and the dead. But for debutant director JP, Su from So is not merely a horror comedy, but a celebration of people, places, and timeless tales that drift through the village winds.
Backed by Raj B Shetty under Lighter Buddha Films, Su from So is a rooted, dramatic, and wildly comical Kannada film that carries within it a rare creative pulse. Featuring a cast filled with theatre veterans, including JP Thuminad, the director, Shaneel Gowtham, Prakash Thuminad, Mime Ramdas, Deepak Rai Panaje and Sandhya Arakere, the film blends folk wisdom, satire, and sentiment with a generous dose of absurdity.
“Being a theatre artist in Tulu theatre and cinema, I used to just coast along while watching and acting in films. But after joining Raj B Shetty during Ondu Motteya Kathe, my entire idea of cinema changed,” says director JP. “With Raj, it is never about imitating. It is about watching people, observing life, and letting stories find you.”
Most of the film’s cast and spirit come from the coastal region as two active theatre teams serve as the base. “We were into theatre, and when I made my first short film in Tulu, I had a small team and was not fully prepared,” recalls JP Thuminad, who is looking forward to the film's release on July 25. He adds, "But I realised that filmmaking is about actually doing things. With Raj, I also came to understand that it is never about the language, but always about what unfolds on the screen.”
The director was determined to bring real characters onto the screen. “Except for a few, most actors are from the coastal region. We had 400 theatre artistes across two troupes, from which we selected seven to eight people who best fit the characters,” he says. “We also auditioned extensively across Karnataka, and whoever matched the character got the role. Half the job is in casting, right?”
Shaneel Gowtham, who plays the lead, says, “This entire team is like a family. We have all worked together in Raj B Shetty’s projects, especially Ondu Motteya Kathe. Except for Toby and Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye, we have been part of almost everything he has done. Raj anna saw our potential and gave us responsibility.”
Shaneel’s role in Su from So, Ravi Anna, left a lasting impression on the team. “Initially, the director had planned to adapt a novel, but when that did not work out, Su from So was born. Ravi Anna’s character does not expect respect, but he receives it. He is loved by some and disliked by others in the village. There is depth, emotion, and contradiction in him.”
“Even if someone asked me to do this role again, I could not. It is not me. But the director brought Ravi Anna to life. It was a once-in-a-lifetime role,” says Shaneel.
The film features 30 primary characters and around 30 more in supporting roles. From an eight-year-old to a 92-year-old woman, every character has been treated with equal importance. “Even junior artistes have meaningful dialogues. No one is just standing in the frame,” says JP.
Actor Prakash Thuminad, who plays Chandra, an auto driver, shares his personal connection with the director. “JP and I have known each other since childhood. Though there is an age gap, we have always been close. We were part of the same theatre troupe. He is deeply talented and knows how to blend theatre and cinema.”
About his role, he adds, “Chandra is unlike anything I have done. The story itself is drawn from the coastal region – it is rooted, raw, and relatable. There was confusion at first about which role would fit me, but when I found Chandra, it just clicked. As an actor, I believe characters must drive the casting, not the other way around.”
Mime Ramdas, who plays Yadu, a bank employee and the village intellectual, explains, “My character behaves differently. He wants people to listen to him, but he is still very much part of the village. The challenge was to capture that contrast; an educated man in a rural setup, surrounded by eccentric people.”
At first glance, the genre may surprise some viewers. Su from So is a horror comedy, but as the team explains, it is not the typical jump-scare film. “Some incidents in life feel frightening in the moment, but days later, you laugh about them,” says JP. “This genre gave us the space to reflect that. A person terrified of ghosts might become the one advising others not to fear. It is a strange human contradiction.”
Was Su from So influenced by Raj B Shetty’s Ondu Motteya Kathe? Shaneel clarifies, “Ondu Motteya Kathe had subtle humour. Su from So is exaggerated, almost caricatured. From posters to performance, we embraced the absurd. It is entertainment with a local flavour, and a thread of morality running through it.”
Prakash notes the difference as well. “Personally, in Ondu Motteya Kathe, we had workshops and detailed preparation. This film did not require that.
It did not need acting – it needed real presence.”
The film also carries a tender subplot. “It is about elders who return after death to fulfil an unfulfilled wish. I grew up hearing such stories, and they stayed with me,” says JP Thuminad, who admits that handling a massive cast was chaotic. “I had written scenes for 100 people. There are no junior artistes in our village, so we went door to door inviting people to act.”
Among them was a 92-year-old woman who walked kilometres every day to be on set. “She had never seen a camera before, but she was so natural. I kept thinking she should have acted all her life.”
Although Raj B Shetty did not direct this film, the team asserts that his influence was present throughout. “He wrote lyrics, backed us as a producer, and more importantly, guided us as a mentor,” JP Thuminad shares.
“Our conversations with Raj were not always about cinema. They were about life, about how people behave and how stories unfold. That is the most valuable thing,” he adds.
Shaneel calls him “Rajanna”, a name that holds warmth and respect. “He is not just a filmmaker to us. He is the one who saw something in all of us. His production house gave us a platform, but more than that, we love him for the human being he is.”
JP concludes, “We did not have much interaction with Rishab or Rakshit, but Raj has been with us from the beginning. All three Shettys have a great passion for cinema and support new voices. But for us, Raj Anna is family.”
As the team awaits the film’s release, there is a quiet nervousness under their smiles. “What we created is one thing, but how people receive it is not in our hands,” says JP as he concludes, “With mobile screens and constant content, audience judgment is swift. But we made this with sincerity and joy.”