Nearly eight years after The Villain, director Prem and Kiccha Sudeep are coming together again. This time, however, the duo is leaving behind the two-hero setup and going with a story centred on family and the current generation.
The film was announced on Sudeep’s birthday, with Prem confirming that the actor will headline his 10th directorial. The title is yet to be revealed, as are details about the rest of the cast and crew. The first look, however, comes with a strong musical touch and the tagline, “This time, seriously, it’s a family matter.”
Their previous collaboration, The Villain, released in 2018 and brought Sudeep and Shivarajkumar together. The film was one of the biggest star combinations attempted in Kannada cinema at the time, with Prem building the story around the two popular actors. Music and the visual presentation were also key parts of the film.
The new film takes a different route, and Prem has said the story deals with family relationships and emotions concerning today’s generation. The makers are also promising a colourful treatment, though they have chosen not to reveal much about the plot.
For Prem, this is a return to the kind of emotional and relationship-driven material that has featured in several of his films. Music has also remained an important part of his filmmaking, from Excuse Me and Jogi to The Villain. His reunion with Sudeep, therefore, brings together two familiar strengths: Prem’s interest in emotion and music and Sudeep’s ability to move between drama and commercial cinema.
Sudeep, too, has taken on a range of roles since The Villain, working across Kannada and other Indian-language films. A film about family and the concerns of a younger generation gives their second collaboration a noticeably different setting from their first.
Beyond the tagline and the first look, Prem and Sudeep are keeping the details under wraps. The project will officially commence with its muhurat on October 20.
This apart, Sudeep has Billa Ranga Baasha, which is currently under production. He has also joined hands with People Media Factory for a historical project, Devaraya, and has couple of other projects in discussion.
