Raja Huli — a toast to friendship

Raja Huli is the remake of the Tamil hit film, Sundarapandian. While the basic outline of the story is taken from the Tamil version, Raja Huli is a tad different from the original, says director Guru Deshpande. Be it shooting in a remote location in Mandya or working on the lead pair’s native dialect — Raja Huli has been exclusively shot for Kannada audiences. While we have seen several films that are about friendship, Guru says that the film will be a toast to friendship.Guru lists the reasons to watch the film…
1) The Tamil version had a particular village’s nativity. For the Kannada version, the film was shot in Mandya-Kollegal locales for about 53 days. This lends a rustic background, and the native dialect spoken by the cast will be a highlight.
2) Though Yash has already done a village boy role in Kirataka — this film sees Yash in a mass and commercial hero avatar. Be it his silk shirts and white lungi or his moustache — everything’s just right for his character called Raja Huli.
3) Meghana Raj, who makes a comeback to Sandalwood after a hiatus, will be a treat to watch onscreen. It is her eyes that speak throughout the film and, Yash and Meghana’s chemistry is noteworthy.
4) Yesteryear actor and popular villain Charan Raj makes a comeback in Raja Huli. He plays Yash’s father in the film.
5) Unlike other films, in which friends take a backseat, Raja Huli highlights the protagonist’s five friends — actors Chikkana, Harsha, Vashishta, Mithra and Manju — who appear in almost 80% of the film. They all belong to the theatre group, Rangabhoomi.
6) Since the movie’s backdrop is a small town, team Raja Huli chose composer Hamsalekha to score the music for the film. His music gives it a local and folk feel.
7) Around 60% of the film has been shot in a moving bus, with nearly 100 people in it.
8) The film boasts a few action sequences. But the one that was shot near a railway track was the most challenging one. Mass Madha designed the set and stunt sequences.
9) The climax, which goes on for about half an hour, has been shot meticulously, as it is the high point of the film. There will be a surprise element every three minutes.
10) While there are several movies based on friendship, this one is a toast to all the films in the genre. In fact, one major element of the film is the title track, which is about friendship.