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Rediff.com  » Movies » It's Krishnan v/s Vinayaka this week
This article was first published 12 years ago

It's Krishnan v/s Vinayaka this week

Last updated on: July 14, 2011 16:14 IST

Image: A still from Kirshnan Marriage Story
An average of two or three films releasing in theatres every week is now the order of the day in the Kannada film industry. This week, two films, both of which have generated some buzz, will face off against each other: Kirshnan Marriage Story and Vinayaka Geleyara Balaga.   

Kirshnan Marriage Story is about an advertising executive and his joint family. Ajay Rao plays the lead character, who is adored by his entire family. While his career is going places, our hero is bogged down by the pressure to find a bride who is not only compatible with him but also his entire family. He does find one such girl and even ties the knot and then begins the true story. 

Alongside Ajay is Nidhi Subbaiah who is fresh from the success of Pancharangi. She will be seen in a bubbly role yet again. "People loved me as Ambika in Pancharangi and I'm hoping to create the same effect as Kushi in this film. I had a blast shooting for the film and I hope audiences have a great time watching it," says Nidhi.

The actress recalls one such fun episode when she had to drive an old jeep for a chase sequence on the Sakleshpur ghats. "It was first of all difficult to drive an old jeep as I am used to power steering. And then, I had to drive fast as it was a chase sequence. But I couldn't see a thing because on the bonnet sat my cameraman and action director! At one point I even went off the road. That was scary but fun."

Apart from Nidhi and Ajay, the film has a 22-member supporting cast. Nutan Umesh is the director. Sridhar Sambhram is the music director and his Nidhe bandilla is already topping the charts.

Nutan Umesh had initially planned to direct a musical before coming across this story. Did he make the right choice? Will Ajay be able to repeat the success of Krishnan Love Story? And will the Pancharangi girl's charm work again? Friday holds all the answers

Vinayaka Geleyara Balaga

Image: A still from Vinayaka Geleyara Balaga
Shruti Indira Lakshminarayana in Bangalore
If Krishnan Marriage Story has present-day family values at its core, its competitor, Vinayaka Geleyara Balaga, takes us back to the '80s. The Ganesha festival is the protagonist in the film and the plot involves two people falling in love during the festival.

Director Nagendra Prasad explains why he chose this subject: "The festival took place on a grander scale when I was a young boy -- that was in the 1980s. I used to set up pandals and collect money from people in my neighbourhood during the festival. Through the film I want to convey the essence of this festival to the younger generation."

In order to recreate the mood of the '80s, the director says audiences will get to see black and white TVs, radios, old currency notes and vehicle number plates. "Super hit films Premaloka and Anand and the serial Mahabharath were released in the 1980s, so you'll also get to see the trends that these two films and serial had made popular," says Prasad.

The geleyara balaga comprises Vijay Raghavendra, Meghana Gownkar, Naveen Krishna, Monish, Pratap and Prassana. A lot of research went into giving the actors the period look. "You'll see me wearing bell bottoms and shirts with long collars," says Vijay. He has also carried the aghori look, but to find out why, we'll have to watch the film.

Meghana says, "You'll find me sporting a retro look. I'm in salwars and saris. We have experimented with my hair too. After trying out four-five wigs, we finally decided to use my own hair and style it differently."

Extensive promotional tours undertaken by the crew is whetting audiences' interest. The cast has travelled to 24 cities across Karnataka, and met students and groups that celebrate the Ganesha festival on a large scale. Road and stage shows were also held. On the day of the film's release, a procession will be held.

The team recently visited actor Shivarajkumar and wished him on his birthday. They presented him with a garland made of 1000 kadabus, Ganesh's favourite stuffed sweetmeat.
Here's hoping that all the hype is justified!