Filmmaker Gururaj Kulkarni, who made his directorial debut with Amruth Apartments and later helmed The Judgement (2023), also holds credits as the producer of Kannada films like Accident and Last Bus. Now, he’s expanding his canvas—both creatively and geographically.
Following The Judgement, a courtroom drama starring Ravichandran and Meghana Gaonkar, Gururaj Kulkarni is now aiming for the global stage with his next project.
“With my last film, which became more a learning process, I began understanding how to present stars and position stories beyond just regional reach,” he explains, adding, "The Judgement was well-made and had a decent run, but I noticed how a similar theme worked well for someone like Rajinikanth in another language—but not in Kannada. That pushed me to rethink the entire ecosystem—from narrative tone to distribution. I’ve been interacting with several people across countries and observing how films made in one language reach audiences in multiple countries."
The film is set to begin production in June and will star The Judgement actor Meghana Gaonkar, who is collaborating with Gururaj for the second time. “She fits this new role beautifully,” says Gururaj, adding, “Meghana Gaonkar is not only a performer but also someone who stands by a film through its entire journey. It feels right to be working together again.” Primarily shot in Bengaluru and Goa, the film explores universal themes of love and betrayal. While rooted in Kannada, it’s designed for a global audience. “My son watches South American films with subtitles, and let's be honest, it’s a multilingual world now,” he notes. “I’m already in touch with international distributors and aiming for releases in Spanish and other global languages.”
With the cast and technical crew soon to be announced, Gururaj Kulkarni’s next film aims to blend emotional depth with international ambition.