KS Ashoka, the filmmaker behind Kannada cinema’s watershed found-footage film 6-5=2 and the cult romantic tragedy Dia, has carved out his own space by drawing raw emotion straight from the audience. He has now officially unveiled the title and first look of his next directorial venture, Friends & Families.
The film brings together Pruthvi Ambaar and Dheekshith Shetty, who previously starred in Dia. Friends & Families also stars fresh faces Naveen (Sridhar) and Aysha.
Speaking at the launch, Ashoka described the project as an emotional social drama centered around three friends and their families. "The intense emotional arc that our female lead carried in Dia is shared by the three principal characters here," Ashoka shared. "Taking a step forward from my previous works, this film explores a much more mature storyline and profound character depths."
For Pruthvi Ambaar, stepping onto an Ashoka set is a seven-year journey coming full circle. "Back in 2014, when 6-5=2 released, I fought with Ashoka sir because I couldn’t believe it was a real-incident film," Pruthvi recalled, adding that, "Whether life brings highs or lows, this movie echoes a timeless truth, because the friends and family standing by you are your ultimate wealth."
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Dheekshith Shetty echoed a similar sentiment, noting that his career began with Dia. To prepare for their roles, Dheekshith Shetty and Pruthvi Ambaar spent four months in workshops mastering the Mandya dialect.
Produced by Naveen SP, Friends & Families features Ashoka handling story, screenplay, editing, and direction. The technical crew includes composer B Ajaneesh Loknath, cinematographer Hemanth Kumar, and art director ANM Suresh, with the film eyeing a January release.
