Gururaj Kulkarni teams up with Laapataa Ladies dialogue coach Sonu Anand
Gururaj Kulkarni, (Nadagoud) the director behind Amruth Apartments, The Last Bus, and The Judgement, is gearing up for his next venture, which he confirms to be a pure thriller with an emotional depth. Following the critical acclaim he received for The Judgement, Gururaj is eager to connect with audiences to understand their cinematic preferences.
“Post-The Judgement, I wanted to reach out to people and learn what they’re interested in watching. I conducted polls and talked to people on the streets, and they ultimately voted for a thriller,” he explains. He aims to create a film that connects widely, drawing comparisons to the Bon series.
In an interesting twist, Gururaj plans to develop this untitled project with a pan-Indian appeal, seeking to incorporate talents from various regions at its ground level. He has written the story and screenplay and is actively bringing together a diverse team of writers, including Sonu Anand, the dialogue coach for Laapataa Ladies directed by Kiran Rao.
The film was recently selected as India’s official entry for the 97th Academy Awards. “We talk about pan-India stories written by Kannada writers, so I decided to consider a narrative that applies across regions. Sonu Anand can bring his experience from his hometown to the table,” reveals Gururaj.
He adds, “I was introduced to Sonu through a common friend. He’s young, and I thought he would provide a fresh perspective.” Currently, the film is in the writing process, and Gururaj is focusing on the dialogues, leveraging Sonu’s expertise in Hindi, Marathi, and Bhojpuri.”
Gururaj also intends to write dialogues for the Kannada version, potentially collaborating with seasoned writers, and is looking for writers from the Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam industries. “The screenplay is ready, and I’ve discussed it at length with Sonu, who is preparing the first draft. He was recently in Bengaluru and did a short film in Kannada during his brief stay. He has shown interest in a long-term collaboration,” he notes.
As the casting process progresses, Gururaj, who is also producing the film under his banner, G9 Communication Media and Entertainment is keen to select actors who can appeal to a wide audience across languages. “An announcement regarding the cast and technical crew will be made soon. Right now, we are just focusing on the groundwork.”