"Mujhe arrest boletho allergy.. Encounter boletho energy.” One of Shivarajkumar’s trademark dialogues, it is part of the action-packed Rustum trailer that was released earlier today. The film, which marks the debut of director Ravi Varma, is touted to be a mass family entertainer, and the filmmaker's work has received a lot of attention, especially from Shivanna fans who are now eagerly looking forward to the film’s release.

The first-time director does not wish to reveal the plot, but says Shivanna plays an encounter specialist in the film. “Rustum will have Shivanna featuring in three action sequences out of five. The fourth will feature Vivek Oberoi, and the last one will be a chase,” says Ravi Varma. 

The director dedicates the film to all Kannada directors, technicians, actors, and the audience. “I have worked in over 250 films as a stunt director, and this is more or less my first exam,” he says. 

Apart from Shivanna, and Vivek, the film features Shraddha Srinath as the female lead, with Mayuri and Rachita Ram rounding up the ensemble cast. The director is currently planning for a theatrical release by the end of May. “The film is now in re-recording stages. We are looking for a May release. An official announcement will be made on this front once we present the film to the censor board,” he says. 

Rustum, made under Jayanna Combines, has music by Anoop Seelin and cinematography by Mahendra Simha. The latter is a still photographer who turned cinematographer with Tagaru; this is his second outing.