Team Landlord has been rolling out its character reveals with theatrical flair, beginning with lead actor Vijay Kumar, followed by Rachita Ram. Now, the makers have dropped the most talked-about reveal yet, the character look of Raj B Shetty as The Ruler. It marks the actor-filmmaker’s first full-fledged antagonist role in Kannada cinema, written by Jadeshaa K Hampi, the director of the film.
Landlord brings together Duniya Vijay and Raj B Shetty in their maiden collaboration. Jadeshaa says this dynamic was embedded in the script from the very beginning. “I knew my villain needed real weight. Think Vijay Sethupathi opposite Kamal Haasan in Vikram, Fahadh Faasil in Pushpa 2, or Biju Menon opposite Prithviraj in Ayyappanum Koshiyum. My story demanded that level of intensity. Raj’s character isn’t a stock villain. He is a family man with emotions and his own journey. But his principles stand in direct conflict with Vijay Kumar’s survival instinct. Raj is the ruler, Vijay is the survivor, and the law becomes their battleground, all set against a raw village backdrop.”
Produced by KV Sathyaprakash and Hemanth Gowda KS under the Saarathi Films banner, the film is currently slated for a theatrical release on 23 January. Raj B Shetty says the director was his biggest reason for coming on board. “I genuinely want directors to win. In this film, I play someone from an oppressive class, a man who will go to any extent for power.” He also shares a light-hearted anecdote. “Jadeshaa said the character needed hair. I asked him, ‘Are you sure?’ Wigs rarely cooperate with me. When I saw the teaser, it felt perfect,” he chuckles. Raj adds that his dialogues are in the Kolar dialect and praises his first-time collaboration with Duniya Vijay. “It was a delight. I hope this film brings good fortune to the producers.”
Vijay, meanwhile, recalls their early days. “Twenty years ago, I walked in with two tomatoes and fifteen rupees. Raj came with an egg. We were mocked then. Today, I’m the Survivor, and he’s the Ruler.” The cast also includes Bhavana Rao. With dialogues by Maasti, Srikanth, and Manjunath, Landlord has music by B Ajaneesh Loknath, cinematography by Swami J Gowda, and editing by KM Prakash.
