I made Maasti Gudi for Anil

The tragic mishap on the set of

Maasti Gudi

that claimed the lives of actors Anil Kumar N and Raghava Uday last year was a personal tragedy for producer

Sundar P Gowda

, who says that he not only lost good actors that day, but two friends as well. Not many may know that Sundar and Anil were close friends, so much so that Anil’s family considers Sundar their younger son — a bond that has remained strong even after the tragedy.

“His family is my responsibility. I visit them even now and they treat me as their own. I don’t have the strength to console them; it is they who console me, saying that while the incident shouldn’t have taken place, I must be strong and move forward. I knew all of Anil’s friends and he knew all of mine. Such was our friendship that people always wondered how we remained the best of friends for so many years, without ever arguing or fighting. I can’t express the grief that I feel at having lost two good friends. I feel like I have lost my two shoulders. That pain is something that I must live with,” says Sundar.

The producer adds that friendship — for Duniya Vijay, Anil and Uday — was the inspiration behind making this film that is made under the KPS Combines banner. That is why, despite facing many difficulties, he ensured that the film was completed and is now ready for release. “I made Maasti Gudi for Anil. Vijay and Uday were both doing well in their careers, but Anil required a boost. Once we revealed that Anil would be the main antagonist of Maasti Gudi, he was flooded with offers. I faced many difficulties while making this film, but money has never come in the way of my friendships,” he adds.