Darling Krishna, mostly known for his romantic and family-oriented films such as Love Mocktail and the recently released Kousalya Supraja Rama, is taking a slight departure with his next project, titled Halagali.
Directed by Sukesh Nayak, the film will explore a historical subject, and is set in the pre-Independence period, during the British era, specifically in 1857.
Sukesh Nayak, who debuted with Krishna Tulasi in 2018, is now gearing up for his sophomore project.
“In the historical context of the 1857 First War of Independence, the brave residents of Halagali, a small village in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district, displayed exceptional heroism. Among various acts of valour during that period, a remarkable incident stands out, where the Beda community, renowned as hunters and warriors, played a pivotal role in defeating the British. They were known for possessing weapons, which held great significance for them as both symbols of worship and a means of sustenance. My story is based on this hunter community, combining true incidents with fictional elements,” explains Sukesh, who took two and a half years to write the script.
Sukesh is currently scouting locations in North Karnataka and plans to start shooting in January. “We are finalising locations in and around Bagalkot, where we will create extensive sets.”
Produced by Kalyan Chakravarthy, the project marks his first venture in the Kannada film industry, after producing the Telugu film.
Interestingly, the historical film is planned to be made in two parts, and will be Krishna’s first pan-Indian project.
“He is currently focused on transforming his body for the role, including learning horse riding and working on stunts to portray a hunter convincingly,” revealed Sukesh.
While more details about Krishna’s role will be revealed later, the filmmakers are finalising the rest of the cast.
On the technical front, Vasuki Vaibhav has been selected to compose the music, and cinematographer Ravi Kumar sana is on board.
Meanwhile, Krishna, who is looking forward for the release of Sugar Factory, is working on his next directorial, Love Mocktail 3, which is curently in scripting stages.