Melkote Manja promises to be a realistic laughter riot

If it's a Jaggesh film is it bound to be a comic caper, promising audiences a

laughter riot

. And his release today,

Melkote Manja

, produced by Kondada Bhereshwara Films, is no different. It not only has him in the lead, but as his second directorial, it marks the first time that he has directed himself. 'One thing that I am particular about when it comes to my films is that they should entertain audiences. They do not want to come to a movie hall and be preached to, which is why I refrain from doing that. My focus is on giving them a good time when they come to the theatre, in a way that they can relate to. The goal is realism, in the sense that if they see my character, the way he speaks and what he does, they should be able to feel that they know someone like him. In fact, even though we have a villain's track in the story, it is not what you normally see in films, and will instead be more like a character's natural reaction when he or she gets angry, which can come across as evil,' says the actor-director.
The film, says Jaggesh, is about a loan shark played by Rangayana Raghu, whose background checks of prospective clients is far more stringent than even banks have. Yet Jaggesh's character Manja manages to do the impossible and cons Raghu into giving him a loan, following which there is a hilarious hide-and-seek between the two, as Jaggesh tries to avoid repaying the loan. 'In everyday life, you will come across many such Manjas, who take loans and then abscond, their phones will be switched off and there will be no way to reach them or recover the money. This story was inspired by many such incidents,' says the actor.
Starring Aindrita Ray in the female lead in her first deglam role, the film has music by Giridhar Diwan, and Jaggesh in the role of lyricist for one number.