He came, he saw the opportunity, and he conquered it to become one of the most versatile comedians of Kannada Film industry. Chikkanna, as we all know, has stayed true to the genre he is good at and has entertained the audience to the fullest. In the upcoming film Sri Bharatha Bahubali, he plays a role parallel to that of the lead actor, Manju Mandavya, who has also directed the film.
The two go back to the Raja Huli days, when both made their appearance in the Yash-starrer. Ahead of its release on January 17, the actor says Sri Bharatha Baahubali will have the audience in splits, from start to end. “Apart from Raja Huli, I was associated with Manju Mandavya in his debut directorial, MasterPiece. His works prove that his main strength lies in his writing and that he has a great sense of comedy, This can also be seen in the upcoming film. More importantly, he knows what I am good at, and he has sketched the character accordingly,” says Chikkanna.
According to the actor, who plays the character of Baahubali, and Manju as Bharatha, the movie is driven by situational comedy. “It also gives a valuable message,” he adds.
The romantic comedy entertainer, made under the banner of Aishvarya Film Productions, features Sarah Harish in the female lead with actors Rishi and Shruti Prakash seen in a guest appearance. Sri Bharatha Baahubali has Manikanth Kadri scoring music and K Parvez handling the camera
Chikkana is currently focusing on turning a hero this year. He will once again get associated with director Manju Mandavya for a project to be bankrolled by Umapathy Films.
“Manju Mandavya has a great sense of humour, and good in his comedy lines, which he can put in his writing. For a comedian who is turning hero, it was important for me to see who will direct me, and he was the best choice. We are sitting together on the script and planning other details. In all likelihood, the film will take off in 2020,” says Chikkanna.
One of the busiest actors in Sandalwood, Chikkanana has completed the shoot for a handful of films, including Roberrt, Pogaru, Raju James Bond, Krishna Talkies, and Bill Gates, and is currently shooting for Vikram Ravichandran-starrer Trivikrama.