The first teaser of Dhwaja, starring newcomer Ravi and Priyamani, has been released by the makers. There has been speculation that the Ashok Cashyap directorial is more than just a remake of the Tamil hit Kodi. Priyamani’s character in the political satire being named Ramya, and the latter being the name of the actor-turned-politician who has been drawing a lot of attention on social media, has added fuel to these rumours.

However, for cinematographer-turned-director, Ashok, it is just an imaginary character, and he thought people would relate to the name ‘Ramya’. “Since our film is a political satire, with elections around the corner and our film releasing at the same time, we felt it was right to go with this name,” he says.

The director is quick to clarify that the character doesn’t have any sort of resemblance to actor and politician Ramya. “Everybody is aware that this is a remake of Kodi, and we are not making a biopic. It’s a fictional political thriller. Since, it is a remake of Kodi, everbody will know the story, and even Ramya will be aware that there is no resemblance to her,” says Ashok, who has been working on this film over the last one year. “Moreover, Ramya could be anybody’s name. It is just a coincidence. We don’t want to defame anybody,” he adds.

The film also stars Divya Uruduga, TN Seetharam, Tabala Nani and Veena Sundar. Dhwaja has music by Santhosh Narayanan and Chinna, and cinematography by Ashok Cashyap.