Some cinema memories stay attached to a place. For Golden Star Ganesh, one such memory goes back to Cheluvina Chithara, his 2007 romantic drama with Amulya, directed by S Narayan. The film had a remarkable run of 27 weeks at what was then Kapali Theatre, now AMB Multiplex. He also mentioned that a couple of films like Bombaat did well in the same theatre.
Years later, Ganesh found himself returning to the same space, this time to present the trailer of Toss, the upcoming film directed by and starring Arjun Dev. But his association with the film is not simply that of a star attending another trailer launch. Ganesh has chosen to back the project through Golden Movies, driven by his belief in supporting new talent and good cinema.
“I am a cinema lover and a cinema enthusiast. When a new team, or a team that has made a good film, approaches us for a collaboration, we like to do it with love. When you support each other that way, a bond develops, and it also brings good energy to the industry,” said Ganesh, explaining his decision to present Toss.
That support is particularly significant for Arjun Dev, who is taking on the multiple responsibilities along with acting and directing the film. A familiar name in Coastalwood and from Mangaluru, Arjun also comes from a film and theatre family. His father, Dr Devdas Kapikad, is a respected theatre actor, writer and director.
Ganesh believes there could be a collaboration with Arjun in the future as well. He said that if the right story comes along, he would be happy to work with the actor-director.
For Arjun, having Ganesh and Golden Movies behind Toss has given the film an added sense of confidence. “Having Golden Movies stand by me for this effort feels like getting the strength of an elephant. Shilpa Ganesh and Golden Star Ganesh have supported us because of their love and respect for me and my father. That has given our entire team even more strength,” he said.
The trailer itself hints at a film that brings together several emotional and commercial elements: love, politics, gang rivalry and the underworld, alongside the relationships between a mother and son and a father and child.
Music director Manikanth Kadri, who has created the soundtrack, believes the film gave him the right material to work with. He said that when a composer gets good songs and strong content, it becomes easier to create music that can reach audiences. He is confident that the songs of Toss will add to the film's appeal.
Produced by Yashavanth Kumar and Sagar Poojary, Toss also marks the debut Sutej Shetty, who plays the female lead, also stars. The cast includes KGF actor Garuda Ram, Balaji Manohar, and a whole set of Tulu actors, Naveen D Pail, Aravind Bolar, Bhajaraj Vamanjoor, Prakash Thuminadu, Deepak Raj Panaje. The film is scheduled to release on September 18 in Kannada, Tulu, Telugu and Hindi.