Rishi, known for his roles in Operation Alamelamma and Kavaludari, is now preparing for his upcoming film, Rudra Garuda Purana. Directed by K. S. Nandeesh, the film is inspired by the real-life mystery of Pan Am Flight 914, which vanished in 1955 and reappeared three decades later. The 17A Kaveri Express bus plays a pivotal role in the story.
Ahead of its theatrical release on January 24, the team has unveiled the song 'Hukka Elli Sukka Hodi.' The track, sung by Naveen Sajjued, mocks the current political system. The lyrics—"Free rice kottilva, free bus bittilva. Kottu tagolo aata gottilva"—seemingly reflects the deceptive games played by political leaders.
The song’s concept, which blends politics with spirituality and touches on life’s fleeting nature, is written by Manju Mandavaya. He is known for his directorial work on the Yash-starrer Master Piece, his involvement in Upendra's UI discussions, and as a dialogue writer for Max. His most recent contribution as a dialogue writer is for R Chandru's production Father.
"The makers of Rudra Garuda Purana were looking for a concept-based song, so we carefully built the words around that idea to better illustrate the political status quo of the state. The song reveals how small the world is and how politicians take advantage of it," says Manju Mandavaya. Music for the song is composed by KP, and it has garnered positive reviews since its release on the Ashwini Arts YouTube channel.
The film is produced by Ashwini Lohith under the Ashwini Arts banner. The director writes the screenplay and story, with dialogues penned by Raghu Niduvalli. Apart from KP, the film's technical crew also comprises cinematographer Sandeep Kumar and editor Manu Shedgar.
In 'Rudra Garuda Purana', Rishi portrays a police officer, while Priyanka Kumar plays the female lead. The supporting cast includes Vinod Alva, Avinash, Shivraj K R Pate, Giri, Ridvi, S Sreeradhar, Ashwini Gowda, Ram Pavan, Vamsi, Akash, Joseph, Prabhakar, Gautam Mysore, Snake Shyam, Ranganath Bharadwaj, and comedians Jagappa, Prasanna Handrangi, and Prabhakar Boregowda.