Rakshit Shetty, returning to the director’s chair with his next film, Richard Anthony, after a hiatus, is set to fully shift base to Udupi from May 1. Reason, the director, who is making a spin-off from his own directorial debut, Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014) has planned to shoot his upcoming film entirely in the western coastal belt.
Speaking to the media during the elections and at the voting booth, Rakshit discussed the project’s status and his reasons for choosing Udupi, where he will also have his team based. Rakshit mentioned, “Ten years ago when I did a spin-off from his own directorial debut, Ulidavaru Kandanthe, I didn’t find it difficult to scout for locations. I don’t plan to shoot only in Udupi; I have to explore the other regions like Kerala and Gokarna, in the Western Ghats.”
Interestingly, Rakshit Shetty plans to consider mostly local talents from the coastal area for the cast. “We have a few good artists from Bengaluru who have approached for roles, but I can’t consider them for the project. It is a must for artists working in Richard Anthony to have the Udupi dialect and the Kannada flavour. Even if I tried to bring in other artists, it would seem more like imitation. We want it to be realistic and free-flowing. So, apart from shooting in the coastal belt, every actor for Richard Anthony will also be from the area.”
While the script is pending another month of work, according to our source, Rakshit is currently writing the climax portions. After completing the script, the actor-director is expected to discuss production plans with producer Vijay Kiragandur of Hombale Films.
“I will be ready with the script, pre-production, and set to go on floors soon,” he adds.