Acclaimed filmmaker MD Sridhar, the man behind films like Friends, Chellata, Krishna, Jolly Days, Porki, Bulbul, and Odeya, is back with a surprising turn. His upcoming film, Jumbo Circus, which has been in the making for some time, is set for release on September 12, and the director insists it’s unlike anything he has done before.
“This time, I didn’t want to go down the typical commercial route,” Sridhar tells us. “Jumbo Circus is a family entertainer, rooted in today’s generation. It’s about friends who want to live together forever, but once marriage enters the equation, life itself becomes a circus. There’s friendship, comedy, and drama, yet the core is family.”
Known for crafting big-ticket star vehicles, Sridhar’s latest outing leans on relative newcomers in the lead roles. The film stars Praveen Tej and Anjali Anish, alongside a strong supporting cast that includes Avinash, Achyuth Kumar, Ravishankar Gowda, Swathi, Ashalatha, Lakshmi Siddaiah, Nayana, Sharath, and Jaggappa, among others.
“Working with fresh talent felt like going back to my basics,” Sridhar explains. “I’ve worked with Darshan and other big stars, but here I wanted to shed the ‘commercial director’ tag and focus on nurturing new energy. Praveen was part of my Jolly Days, and it’s satisfying to see him take centre stage now. Anjali Anish, who was last seen in Yogaraj Bhat’s Manada Kadalu, has an interesting role and brings a refreshing authenticity.”
Produced by HC Suresh under the Sri Mahathi Combines banner and distributed by Gangadhar across Karnataka, the film features music by Vasuki Vaibhav and lyrics penned by Kaviraj, Jayanth Kaikini, and Nagendra Prasad. The choreography is done by Baaghi 4 director A Harsha, and stunts by Ravi Verma with dialogues by Raghu Niduvalli. “I’ve been fortunate to have some of the best technicians for Jumbo Circus. They are also my friends, and it feels special that they’ve all come together for this film,” says Sridhar. and dialogues by Raghu Niduvalli.
With Jumbo Circus, Sridhar proves that even after a hiatus, he hasn’t lost his instinct to surprise. “Sometimes, you have to step away to rediscover your voice,” he concludes.
