Ever since its theatrical release on September 25, director Manoj Kumar's sophomore project, Premada Oorali, has set the box-office on fire. Produced under the banners Vanilla Entertainments and Janakamma Productions, the film stars Rangayana Raghu, Shree Ram, Ramika Shivu and Thapaswini Poonacha. The emotional entertainer has clocked over 11,000 shows in Karnataka. By its 13th day, the film has amassed an impressive ₹30 crore, holding strong as an undisputed blockbuster hit.
We caught up with the key technicians, cinematographer Rajkanth SK, music director Sunaad Gowtham, and editor Harshith Prabhu behind Premada Oorali to discuss its journey.
I will make frames people will remember: Rajkanth SK
"I always told people around me that I want to shoot a film during the rains," says Premada Oorali cinematographer Rajkanth SK, whose frames capturing the lush green belt of Hassan have drawn equal acclaim, and the area has become a tourist spot.
"I was heavily inspired by Sathya Hegde sir’s visuals in Sanju Weds Geetha and Myna, and DOP Krishna's frames in Mungaru Male. When director Manoj Kumar sir said, 'Let us shoot in June and July during the peak monsoon,' I was thrilled. In this film, rain is not just weather; it is an emotion. We balanced the natural downpours as much as we wanted to, with our own sprinkler setups to ensure the wet, rustic texture stayed alive on screen without fading into a washout."
Shooting in Hassan was breezy, and tough. "The moment we set the frame, heavy rain would start. During the cricket scene, we lost half a day. At one point, forest officials stopped us near the temple. Manoj sir wanted clean, sharp images without blown-out lighting. I told him, 'Whatever you say, I will make frames people will remember.'"
Surprisingly, Rajkanth never attended film school. "I worked in hotel housekeeping and as a waiter. Later, I assisted a makeup artist, moved into television, and operated drones. Nobody taught me how to light or compose; I learned standing behind monitors and observing. Seeing people love these frames makes every struggle feel worthwhile."
Premada Oorali brings melodies of the soil: Sunaad Gowtham
When Premada Oorali's title song crossed 1.5 lakh reels, it proved the rustic tunes had reached people across Karnataka. Karkala-based composer Sunaad Gowtham brings experience from working on 22 films and scoring music for over 75 serials across India.
"I was waiting for a full musical love story, and that is when Manoj Kumar sir called me," says Sunaad. "He liked 'Eega Thaane Jaariyaagide' from Ananthu v/s Nusrath and my title track for the serial Jothe Jotheyali. Having started as a cinema-hall torchbearer, Manoj sir knows the pulse of the common audience like few others. In fact, he also penned lyrics for some of the tracks in the film."
Sunaad chose raw acoustic sounds for the film. "'Eru Peru Hrudaya' was the first tune locked to match Vasantha’s innocence with light folk layers. The sad song 'Aagabeke', reflecting unspoken pain, took the most time and remains my personal favourite."
The project also turned into a family effort. "My grandfather was a Yakshagana Bhagavatha, and my sister Ninaada Nayak and I learned music from our father, Ashtavadhani Umesh Gowtham. Ninada sang the female portions in 'Eru Peru Hrudaya' and 'Baanali Jaarida'. All our singers are from Karnataka. Seeing people in my hometown celebrate the music makes all the hard work worthwhile."
Manoj Kumar gave me the room to experiment: Harshith Prabhu
For 26-year-old editor Harshith Prabhu, working on Premada Oorali turned out to be a solid two-year learning ground. “I found a collaborator in director Manoj Kumar,” shares Harshith Prabhu, whose latest project marks his second feature film after Apayavide Eccharike. “Coming from short films, I was hesitant at first to suggest trims on scenes already shot,” he admits. “Manoj Kumar sir gave me the room to experiment. We worked out of the office day and night, seeing how adding just one reaction shot or cutting a single line of dialogue could change the entire mood of a scene.” A key moment came with a second-half song that was slowing down the film before the climax. “The song was originally written from the hero Santhu’s viewpoint, so moving it earlier seemed difficult,” recalls Harshith Prabhu. “Sir listened closely, changed just one lyric line to turn it into an outsider’s gaze, and it fit right in.” He also feels editors should join before shooting starts to plan transitions and avoid costly reshoots on tight budgets. With three new projects lined up, Harshith Prabhu remains grounded: “I may be just two films old, but the work must speak for itself.”
