Gandhada Gudi: Fans thrilled to see Puneeth on screen

The untimely passing away of Kannada film industry's 'Power Star' Puneeth Rajkumar a little over a month ago had left fans and the film fraternity shocked and heartbroken. As they came to terms with the tragedy, fans wondered about the possibilities of seeing their favourite actor one last time on the big screen.

Director Chetan Kumar had promised that his action flick ‘James’ with Puneeth will definitely release as 90 per cent of the film’s shooting was over. There was buzz around another project helmed by Amoghavarsha. It was known that Puneeth’s home banner PRK Productions had bankrolled the film, the teaser of which was supposed to release on November 1, on the occasion of Karnataka Rajyotsava.

After a month of mourning, the who’s who of the Kannada industry came together to share and talk about the teaser of ‘Gandhada Gudi’, Amoghavarsha’s film which stars Puneeth. “Appu’s dream and an incredible journey! It’s time for the return of ‘Gandhada Gudi’,” Puneeth’s wife and founder of PRK Productions Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar posted on social media along with the teaser.

The one minute and 20 seconds teaser shows Puneeth exploring the forests of Karnataka. ‘Gandhada Gudi’ aims to show the rich biodiversity and natural habitat of Karnataka. Puneeth’s father and legendary actor Dr Rajkumar had starred in the hit 1973-film with the same title. The film, directed by Vijay, had Rajkumar playing an honest police officer and had a theme similar to the current film.

Puneeth, known for his special love for adventures, looks dashing and completely immersed in the stunning beauty of the forests as the teaser gives a feel of a well-made documentary. Amoghavarsha had made the widely acclaimed ‘Wild Karnataka’ (2019), a documentary on Karnataka’s rich biodiversity. It clinched the National Award in the Best Exploration and Best Narration categories earlier this year.

“There are songs, and emotions in this film. There are lot of takeaways from this film. We spent one year on the project and I am blessed to have worked with Puneeth sir,” said Amoghavarsha.

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, Sandalwood superstars such as Yash and Rakshit Shetty and scores of fans shared the teaser on multiple social media platforms and heaped praise on its visual beauty.

“I remember the twinkle in your eyes every time you spoke about the project. Thank you Appu, sir, for showing our Gandhada Gudi through your eyes. It’s truly a paradise,” Yash wrote on Twitter.

“A beautiful amalgamation of nature and art! Appu sir continues to live through his deeds and dreams. Sending my heartiest wishes to the team,” said Rakshit Shetty on Twitter.

The film’s music and background score is by Ajaneesh Lokanath while Pratheek Shetty is the cinematographer. The teaser is available on YouTube and has crossed 1M views. ‘Gandhada Gudi’ will hit the screens in 2022. Puneeth passed away due to cardiac arrest at 46 on October 29.