Kariya 2 explores the humane element of the underworld

After his debut, Ganapa, Santhosh Balaraj was on the lookout for the right platform to further his acting career, and after much deliberation with his father, veteran producer Anekal Balaraj, he decided to resurrect the

Kariya

brand with

Kariya 2

, which releases today. “Darshan’s Kariya did really well back in the day, and we figured that audiences would be intrigued to know how we could take the tale forward. Director Prabhu Srinivas, who made

Ganapa

as well, came up with a fresh script, which I found very engaging,” says Santhosh, about the film produced by Santhosh Moviemakers in association with P2 Productions.
The worrisome bit, though, he adds, was the title itself. “Initially, I was worried about doing a film called Kariya 2, as people will have high expectations from it. And we were wondering if we could do justice to it, but once the script took shape, I realized that we could go ahead fearlessly,” adds Santhosh.
The good response to the trailer has bolstered this confidence and the actor says that the film is a must-watch this week. “There are multiple factors that work for Kariya 2, starting with the title, script, songs and cast. The story is, no doubt, about the underworld and I play a rowdy in the film. But the portrayal of people from that segment is very different and shows their more humane side. There is also a love story at the centre and how my character changes once he meets a girl, Janaki, played by Mayuri Kyatari,” says Santhosh.