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SandalwoodAs Kannada thriller ‘Aa Karaala Ratri’ runs successfully in cinemas, here is a list of five awesome thrillers that should be on your watchlist.Karthik KeramaluAa Karaala Ratri, which released earlier this month, is being talked about as the next big thriller in Kannada cinema. Filmmaker Dayal Padmanabhan, who’s known for making parallel and masala films, has based his latest drama on a Kannada play by Mohan Habbu, which turns into a fest of blood-and-tears in the last half hour. Aa Karaala Ratri has the intimacy that can be seen in a play. Since it’s the adaptation of a play, you might say it’s obvious. But when was the last time that Kannada cinema took its cast and crew to the 80s to cook up chicken curry and murder? A limited set of characters and the reliance on dialogues to move the story forward are the signs of a tightly packed script.

SandalwoodThere's plenty to like in the film but one gets the feeling that the director doesn't seem to know when to hold back.Rakesh MeharThere’s a bus ride to Chennai where the girl might finally fall in love with the boy who’s loved her for years. But as the bus trundles its way down the highways, there are scam-tainted politicians conniving with regionalist goons to incite trouble with a neighbouring state so that the media forgets about scams in the heat of riots. Will love blossom or will hate triumph? Set out in a three-line summary, Rajaratha sounds like the script for a powerful emotional rollercoaster. Unfortunately, though, Anup and Nirup Bhandari, who found fame with Rangitharanga just end up trying too hard on their latest outing. So, everything in Rajaratha is amped up to 11 right from the start. That’s not always the worst thing. The single-song montage in a mist-kissed locale to sum up Abhi’s (Nirup Bhandari) four years in engineering, for instance, skips all the half-hearted awkwardness you usually in Kannada movies’ depictions of college life. Then there’s the forest paradise that Abhi and Megha (Avantika Shetty) manage to lose themselves in during their excessively eventful bus ride. A cinematographer’s fondest dreams, these locations are paired up with a lovely musical score to deliver some exciting songs and interludes. Similarly, at the other end, Arya’s Vishal has a righteous temper that brings a keen edge to some of the key scenes of the political drama. Unfortunately, though, director Anup just doesn’t seem to have a sense of when to hold back. So, Abhi and Megha’s love story takes some bizarre detours, thanks to the strange connections that the script tries to force between our hero and all the other people on the bus. And a lot of the budding romance itself, which is supposed to come across and adorable and endearing, seems either silly or sometimes creepy. Take the torch our hero has kept burning for the heroine for years, for instance. Underneath all the cutesy posturing, there’s a stalkerish turn that gets ignored. And while there are some jokes that work: the digs that Abhi’s character takes at mass film heroes, for instance, draw more than a chuckle. But close behind are bits of toilet humour that hit a little too much below the belt. And thanks to all the time and energy that gets spent on the love story, the political drama gets shortchanged. So when the two suddenly and violently clash, you can’t help but feel that things escalated quickly. The climactic sequence passes by in such a rush that you feel let down at the end of it all. On the acting front, Nirup manages to light up the screen in flashes, while Avantika is also fairly competent. Arya shows glimpses of an exciting character, but doesn’t really get the chance to flex his acting muscles enough. Ravishankar’s unlikely character holds the potential for an interesting take, but like much else in the film ends up overdone. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither Tnm nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.

Entertainment The director announced that the delay was because the Telugu version of the bilingual film was yet to be censored. Digital NativeAfter the success of RangiTaranga, the Bhandari brothers have teamed up again for their next film Rajaratha. The trailer of the upcoming release Rajaratha created a lot of buzz and movie buffs were waiting eagerly for its release. Early last month, it was announced that this Kannada entertainer would hit the silver screens on January 26th to cash in on the Republic Day weekend. However, the release was postponed and the fresh release date was announced to be February 16th. With the release date nearing, director Anup Bhandari said that the release has again been postponed and the film would hit the screens only on March 23rd. According to the director, the release had to be postponed as the Telugu version is yet to be censored. A social media post by him said, “March 23rd it is! As the Telugu version is yet to be censored and there are examinations during first 2 weeks of March, we have decided on this date.” Touted to be a rom-com on the lines of this debut movie RangiTaranga, Rajaratha has the same set of actors who were featured in RangiTaranga. Interestingly, Tamil star Arya is making his debut in the Kannada film industry with Rajaratha and will be seen in a new get-up. Rajaratha has Nirup Bhandari and Avantika Shetty playing the lead pair with P. Ravishankar in a pivotal role. Written and directed by Anup Bhandari, the film has been produced jointly by Ajay Reddy,Vishu Dakappagari, Anju Vallabh and Sathish Sastry under the banner Jollyhits. Anup Bhandari has composed the soundtracks for Rajaratha while the background score has been done by B. Ajaneesh Loknath. William David is the cinematographer for this film. Rajaratha, a bilingual, will be released in Telugu under the title Rajaratham. (Content provided by Digital Native)...

Sandalwood The actor said the movie, just like its prequel, would be a laugh riot Digital NativeGurunandan is upbeat about his movie Raju Kannada Medium hitting the silver screens soon. Happy over the way the film has shaped up, the actor has said that it would be a complete laugh riot just as its prequel 1st Rank Raju, which was a big success. While Gurunandan plays the main lead in the film, it also has Kiccha Sudeep in a pivotal role. According to the filmmakers, Sudeep’s character will be introduced post interval and will be seen till the end. On sharing the screen space with the top actor, Gurunandan said that working with him was a pleasurable experience and he got to learn a lot. Written and directed by Naresh Kumar, who had also directed the prequel, Raju Kannada Medium stars Avantika Shetty as the female lead. Others in the star cast also include Ashika Ranganath, Achyuth Kumar, Suchendra Prasad and Sadhu Kokila in supporting roles. Kiran Ravindranath has composed music for this venture with Shekar Chandra cranking the camera and Giri Mahesh editing it. Gurunandan, a popular TV actor, shot to limelight for starring in the soap Lakumi. He forayed into the film industry with Cyber Yugadol Navayuva Prema Kavyam in 2014 and tasted biggest success with 1st Rank Raju released the next year. On his acting career, Gurunandan had told in an interview that his entry into the film industry came without a godfather and he did not have any film background. Produced by Ka Suresh under his banner Suresh Arts, the film is scheduled for release on January 19th. 2018. It may be mentioned here that film had its share of negative publicity with heroine Avantika Shetty claiming that she was treated unfairly by the filmmakers, particularly producer Ka Suresh and filed a legal complaint. However, the issue was resolved with the Producers’ Council stepping in and settling it amicably.

EntertainmentActor Rana Daggubati will have a cameo appearance in the Telugu version. Digital NativeRangiTaranga was one of the biggest hits in Sandalwood despite that fact that it had some very big competitors when it hit the silver screens. Now, the same team is back with Rajaratha, which is slated for release on January 26 to cash in on the long Republic Day weekend. According to reports from the trade circles, the makers of Rajaratha are leaving no stone unturned to ensure its success at the box office. We hear that the film has been made on a whopping budget of Rs. 25 crores and of a quite a handsome amount has been set aside for the promos. Further, the producers are keen on having it released in Telugu as well and the Telugu version, titled Rajaratham, will have a simultaneous release along with the Kannada version. Directed by Anup Bhandari, Rajaratha / Rajaratham has Nirup Bhandari playing the lead role with Avantika Shetty as his heroine. Tamil star Arya will be seen playing a pivotal role in the movie and in a new avatar as well. Anup Bhandari, beside directing the movie, has also scored music for the songs while Ajaneesh Lokanath had done the background score. William David had cranked the camera for this venture. Made on a budget of Rs. 25 crores, Rajaratha has been bankrolled by Ajay Reddy, Vishu Dakappagari, Anju Vallabhneni and Sathish Sastry. It may be mentioned here that Ajay Reddy is a popular overseas distributor having successfully distributed several movies abroad. According to reports, Rajaratha was made in Telugu on his insistence as he funded the project. An interesting info about the film is that Puneeth Rajkumar will be seen making a cameo appearance in the Kannada version while Rana Daggubati will be seen in the Telugu version. That’s one more reason to gear up for the film’s release on January 26.

EntertainmentWhat makes this Bo clash very interesting is the fact that both the films are connected to the Rajkumar family.Digital NativeDigital NativeTwo Kannada movies, Kanaka and Rajaratha will clash at the box office (Bo) on Republic Day on January 26 this year. Being a long weekend, the makers of the films are trying to cash in on it. What makes this Bo clash very interesting is the fact that both the films are connected to the Rajkumar family. While Duniya Vijay will be seen as the hardcore Rajkumar fan in Kanaka, Puneeth Rajkumar is the narrator for Rajaratha. Both these factors are sure to help in the box office success of Kanaka and Rajaratha. Written, produced and directed by R Chandru, Kanaka stars Duniya Vijay in the title role with Manvitha Harish and Hariprriya as the female leads. The star cast also includes P Ravishankar, Sadhu Kokila and Rangayana Raghu. Naveen Sajju has composed music for this flick with Sathya Hegde as the cinematographer and Harish as the editor. The film was touted to hit the marquee last month but was postponed due to delay in the censor certification process. Duniya Vijay’s last release was Masti Gudi, which was released in May last year. Rajaratha, written and directed by Anup Bhandari, stars Nirup Bhandari, Avantika Shetty, P Ravishankar and Arya. In fact, it is Arya’s debut in the Kannada film industry and he will be appearing in an all-new get-up. Besides writing and directing the film, Anup Bhandari has also composed music for it. B Ajaneesh Loknath has done the background score and William David had cranked the camera for this romantic comedy. Nirup Bhandari’s debut flick RangiTaranga, released in 2015, was a major hit and Rajaratha is his second outing. Incidentally, he is working with the same team again after the massive success of RangiTaranga. Now, that would be an interesting Bo clash to watch out for!

EntertainmentThe director said this at the trailer of Rajaratha which was released recently at the Gold Finch Hotel in Bengaluru. Digital NativeDigital NativeThe Rangi Taranga team, after the grand success, decided to get back together for another film. The same team collaborated for Rajaratha which is due to hit the silver screens on January 25. While plans were to release the romantic comedy in December, it was postponed to January for reasons best known to the filmmakers. The trailer of Rajaratha was released recently at the Gold Finch Hotel in Bengaluru and it was well attended by several film personalities including the Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar. Incidentally, he had done a voice over for the film and it is a major highlight. Speaking at the event, the film’s director thanked Puneeth Rajkumar for being a part of the venture and expressed his desire to direct the star one day in the future. Hero Nirup Bhandari said that he refused to accept several offers that came his way after the Rangi Taranga hit, just to be a part of this team. One of the producers of the film, Satish Sastry said that Rangi Taranga was one of the biggest hits in the Kannada film industry as it went on to have a 50-day run at the theatres with four shows. He added that this prompted the team of four producers - Ajay Reddy, Vishu Dakappagari, Anju Vallabh and Sathish Sastry – to convert the Jolly Hits Distribution house into Jolly Hits Production house. Directed by Anup Bhandari, the film stars Nirup Bhandari and Avantika Shetty in the lead roles with P Ravishankar and Arya in pivotal roles. It may be mentioned that Tamil star Arya will be making his debut in Sandalwood with Rajaratha. Anup Bhandari, the director of the movie doubles up as its music director. He had composed music for the songs while the background score has been done by Ajaneesh Lokesh. William David had wielded the camera for this rom com.

The Raju Kannada Medium team came up with a Rajyotsava special on November 1st by releasing three trailers on Youtube. The trailers with some interesting facts about the Kannada Rajyotsava laced with humour have gone well the movie buffs.

Directed by Naresh Kumar, this romantic comedy stars Gurunandan and Avantika Shetty as the lead pair. Kiccha Sudeep will be making a cameo appearance in Raju Kannada Medium which will be its Usp. ...