After years of conceptualisation, Suri’s Kaage Bangara is finally taking shape, with a new lead actor. Initially, the director, known for his gripping storytelling, had planned to cast actor Viraat in the lead role. However, in a surprising turn of events, Viraat has been replaced with Yuva Rajkumar. What’s even more intriguing is that this film won’t just be a standalone project but part of an ambitious series. Kaage Bangara is set to blend the worlds of Kendasampige and Popcorn Monkey Tiger, creating a cinematic multiverse. In an exclusive conversation with CE, Suri opened up about the film. “First and foremost, I want to apologise to Viraat,” Suri confesses. “He had a strong desire to be a part of this project, but somehow, it didn’t work out. I talked to him after watching his last film and learning from his interviews during the promotions of Royal. I believe I will direct him in the future.”
Suri believes Yuva Rajkumar is apt for the role in Kaage Bangara. “Yuva Raj has a responsibility in his approach to acting. I can’t change him as a person, but I can mould him into the character of Kaage Bangara,” says Suri. His decision to cast Yuva shows confidence in the actor’s potential to rise to the occasion.
Discussing his connection with the Doddmane (Rajkumar) family, Suri shares, “I enjoy working with every actor from that family. We were supposed to collaborate with Yuva Rajkumar on another project, but things didn’t align. Now, I’m thrilled we’re finally working together.” He also revealed plans to collaborate with Vinay Rajkumar.
The scale of Kaage Bangara is massive, with the involvement of the production houses PRK Productions (Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar), (Jayanna and Bhogendra) Jayanna Films, and KRG Studios (Karthik Gowda and Yogi G Raj). The lead cast includes Rithanya Vijay, the daughter of actor Duniya Vijay. Suri is particularly excited about the talented technical crew of the film. Surendranath wrote the story for the film, with the screenplay and dialogues by Amri. Charan Raj will serve as the composer, Shekar will handle cinematography, and Suri will focus on direction.
Suri teases that characters from Kendasampige and Popcorn Monkey Tiger will appear in Kaage Bangara, uniting these distinct worlds. “The title Kaage Bangara has got people excited, and this project is only getting bigger,” Suri concludes.
