For an actor whose career spans more than 700 films across five languages, Urvashi has little left to prove. Yet, after a decade away from Kannada cinema, she has found a reason to return to it. Bully, a dark comedy directed by Anup Antony, not only marks her comeback after Rama Shama Bhama but also brings a personal first: sharing screen space with her daughter, Teja Lakshmi, who makes her Kannada debut opposite Bhouvan Ponnanna.
"I'm happy that my daughter's Kannada journey begins with Bully," Urvashi said at the film's title launch.
The veteran actor revealed that she had turned down several Kannada scripts over the past decade. "Nothing really appealed to me. I was busy with Tamil and Malayalam films. When Bhouvan and Harshika came to Chennai and narrated Bully, I liked both the story and their approach. After completing my portions, I felt I would have missed a good film had I not accepted it."
Calling Bully an out-and-out comedy, Urvashi praised co-star Bhouvan Ponnanna. "He has all the qualities to become a fine leading man. I enjoyed working with him and wish him the very best," she said.
Looking back on her association with Kannada cinema, Urvashi recalled working with stalwarts including Dr Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh, Anant Nag, Shankar Nag, Ravichandran and Ramesh Aravind. "Kannada cinema has never let go of me," she added.
For Bhouvan, acting alongside Urvashi was a long-held ambition. "Working with an actor who has appeared in over 700 films is an education in itself. I learnt a lot just by watching her on set," he said.
Known for Randhava and his stint on Bigg Boss Kannada, Bhouvan takes on his first full-fledged comedy with Bully. He plays Balarama, a carefree Gen Z youngster from a middle-class family who is affectionately called Bulli by his friends. "The film isn't trying to deliver a message. It's made to entertain, but at its heart is an unusual mother-son relationship that audiences haven't seen before," he said.
Produced by Samrudh Studios and Bhuvanam Entertainment, Bully has completed its first shooting schedule. Director Anup Antony describes it as a dark comedy centred on an unusual mother-son relationship.
Producer Naveen credited Aravind Venkatesh Reddy for playing a key role in getting the project off the ground. "The story has come together well, and with the support of the entire team, we're confident of delivering a good film," he said.
The film also stars Achyuth Kumar, Om Prakash Rao, Prakash Tuminadu, Huli Karthik and Arya Santhosh in key roles.
Om Prakash Rao, who also features in the film, called Bully one of his most satisfying acting experiences. Prakash said that sharing screen space with Urvashi was a personal highlight. Executive producer Harshika Poonacha said she was equally delighted to welcome Urvashi back to Kannada cinema and to introduce Teja to the industry through the film.
