My directorial debut just had to be in my mother tongue i.e, Tulu, says Pruthvi Ambaar
From a modest cubicle as an RJ in Mangaluru to sprawling film sets in Chennai and Hyderabad, 'It still feels unbelievable. I've worked not just in Kannada, but also in Tamil and Telugu cinema.
I'm just grateful to have sustained this long,' reflects actor
Pruthvi Ambaar
on his journey so far. 'Now, the desire to direct has come to the fore. I owe it to my mother tongue, Tulu; it gave me my first recognition as an actor, and it feels right to begin my directorial journey with it.' Excerpts from a conversation:
'THOUGH THE TULU INDUSTRY IS SMALL, IT CONSISTENTLY DELIVERS HIT FILMS'
'Since I was busy working in other industries, I hadn't gotten time to do a film in my mother tongue, Tulu.
When I knew I wanted to take on directing, I owed it to my roots to make a film in Tulu,' he explains. Pruthvi notes that Tulu films rarely appear on OTT platforms or get satellite rights. 'They rely almost entirely on theatrical releases in Mangaluru, Udupi, Mumbai, and the Middle East. It's the deep love people have for their language that drives them to the cinemas.
My directorial venture starts filming in September, and I'm grateful for the support from the entire Tulu film fraternity.'
'WE NEED TO GIVE NEW FILMMAKERS A CHANCE FOR THE KANNADA FILM INDUSTRY TO THRIVE AGAIN'
'I understand the trend now is to make big films and hope audiences show up. But the solution lies in small films making a big impact. Good directors struggle to find producers, and good producers can't find dependable directors. The lack of strong writing is another issue. If we give small filmmakers and modestly-budgeted films a real chance, I truly believe the Kannada industry can thrive again,' says Pruthvi, about the recent lull in Kannada cinema.
Despite not having space on OTT platforms, the Tulu film industry has remained consistent in feeding theatres with content that fares well. Its comedians continue to be the biggest crowd-pullers
Pruthvi
'I WASN'T AWARE THAT YASH'S MOTHER WAS THE PRODUCER OF THE FILM WHEN I TOOK UP KOTHALAWADI'
Speaking about his upcoming work, Pruthvi says, 'Kothalawadi created quite a buzz. Honestly, until a month ago, we didn't even know who the producer was because someone else fronted the set. I accepted it not because it's produced by Yash's mother, but because it's an amazing revenge drama—and it features one of my favourites, Gopalkrishna Deshpande.'
The Kannada industry welcomed me warmly after I moved from Tulu. For me, Tamil and Telugu films happened organically
Pruthvi
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Actor Srikanth arrested after police seize cocaine from his city residence
Actor Srikanth CHENNAI: Tamil film actor Srikanth, 46, who has acted in 54 movies including 11 in Telugu and five in Malayalam was on Monday arrested by the Chennai police in connection with a cocaine smuggling racket. The arrest followed the detention of T Prasad, an AIADMK IT wing functionary who is suspected to have supplied the drug to the actor. Srikanth was taken into custody after police recovered cocaine from his residence and confirmed drug use through medical tests. Police said they were probing the involvement of another Kollywood actor, whose identity cannot be revealed at this stage. It all began on June 17 when the Anti-Narcotics Intelligence Unit (ANIU) of the city police arrested Pradeep Kumar alias Prado, 38, of Salem and John, 38, a Ghana national in Nungambakkam for possession of 11g cocaine. Based on information provided by Pradeep, police learned that the drug was sourced from T Prasad and sold to Srikanth at a pub in Nungambakkam in May. Police subsequently raided Srikanth's residence in the Nungambakkam Lake area and recovered small quantities of cocaine kept for 'personal use'. Srikanth was detained for questioning and later arrested after his blood samples tested positive for narcotics. He was taken to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for an examination and produced before the II metropolitan magistrate court in Egmore. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ¡Revoluciona tu mundo digital con recomendaciones tech! Mandarina - Tráfico Más información Undo Police said Prasad was earlier arrested following a drunken brawl at the same pub. Further investigations into his activities led to the unearthing of multiple criminal links, including drug trafficking, a job scam and attempts to influence police officials. At least six cases have been registered against him so far. He was detained under the Goondas Act as well. Sources said two police personnel — sub-inspector Mani Durai and constable Senthilkumar — were also arrested on charges of assisting Pradeep Kumar in a fake job racket. Senthilkumar, who served as the personal security officer to CPM MP Su Venkatesan, was picked up from Madurai and brought to Chennai on Thursday. Another SI from the Coimbatore Anti-Terror unit has also been detained based on digital evidence. The job scam surfaced during investigations into the pub brawl involving Prasad, AIADMK functionary Ajay Vandaiyar and history-sheeter Nagendra Sethupathi. So far, at least three complaints have been registered in Nungambakkam and Mylapore police stations.
Pink Villa
4 hours ago
- Pink Villa
6 upcoming Telugu Re-releases: Naga Chaitanya, Samantha's Ye Maaya Chesave, Hanuman Junction and more
Telugu cinema is surely raking in audiences with new releases like Kuberaa, with Kannappa just days away from release. However, many Telugu films are gearing up for re-release soon. If you're someone who enjoys watching re-releases on the big screen, here are the films you should surely check out. 6 Upcoming Telugu re-releases Title Re-release Date Director Hanuman Junction June 28, 2025 Mohan Raja Kumari 21F July 10, 2025 Palnati Surya Pratap Mirapakay July 11, 2025 Harish Shankar Ghajini (Telugu-dub) July 18, 2025 AR Murugadoss Ye Maaya Chesave July 18, 2025 Gautham Vasudev Menon Veedokkade July 19, 2025 KV Anand 1. Hanuman Junction Cast: Arjun Sarja, Jagapathi Babu, Venu, Laya, Sneha, Vijayalakshmi Director: Mohan Raja Runtime: 2 hours Re-release Date: June 28, 2025 Arjun Sarja and Jagapathi Babu starrer Hanuman Junction is slated to hit the big screens once again this year. The action comedy movie features the story of Krishna and Dasu, two best friends who run a company, named KD & Co company, handling the market in the village. With their rising success, the movie explores the animosity with their vicious opponent, Devudayya, while Krishna is in love with the latter's daughter. How everything works out for them forms the entire story. The film was a remake of the Malayalam movie Thenkasipattanam starring Suresh Gopi, Lal, and Dileep. 2. Kumari 21F Kumari 21 F, starring Raj Tarun and Hebah Patel in the lead roles, is a romantic comedy focusing on the story of Siddhu and Kumari. While Siddhu, a chef, is an immature and over-possessive man, he falls in love with a struggling model, a mature woman with several rumors surrounding her. Whether both can have a working relationship without breaking the integrity forms the entire film. It is loosely based on the French movie Lila Says, starring Vahina Giocante and Mohammed Khouas. 3. Mirapakay Director: Harish Shankar Runtime: 2 hours and 31 minutes Re-release Date: July 11, 2025 Mirapakay is a Telugu-language action comedy featuring Ravi Teja in the lead role. It narrates the tale of Rishi, a police officer sent to Hyderabad as a Hindi lecturer as a part of an undercover operation. While falling in love during his time there, the man must go against her wishes and woo another girl to extract information about a gangster and apprehend him. What happens to them forms the rest of the film. 4. Ghajini (Telugu-dub) Cast: Suriya, Asin, Nayanthara, Pradeep Rawat, Manobala, Riyaz Khan Director: AR Murugadoss Runtime: 2 hours and 47 minutes Re-release Date: July 18, 2025 Suriya starrer Ghajini is gearing up for its release ahead of the actor's 50th birthday. The movie features the story of a once-rich businessman who develops anterograde amnesia. While he suffers from a mental condition, he is in search of a person in hopes of exacting revenge against his girlfriend, Kalpana's death. The film is said to be loosely inspired by Christopher Nolan's Memento and the British comedy Happy Go Lovely (1951). 5. Ye Maaya Chesave Ye Maaya Chesave is a romantic drama featuring Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu (in her debut) in leading roles. The film narrates the story of Karthik, an engineering graduate and an aspiring filmmaker, who falls in love with his tenant Jessie, a Christian girl from Kerala. What follows next is a tale of romance between the two individuals from contrasting backgrounds, and whether they'd unite against the wishes of her orthodox family. The film was simultaneously made in Tamil as Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa with Simbu and Trisha in the lead. 6. Veedokkade Veedokkade is the Telugu language dubbed version of the Suriya starrer action thriller Ayan. The KV Anand directorial features the story of a computer science graduate who works as a smuggler for Anthony Dass. After his best friend was killed by a business enemy, the man takes it upon himself to exact revenge for him and changes his way to help the police, using his in-depth knowledge of the smuggling world.
Pink Villa
4 hours ago
- Pink Villa
Does Dil Raju regret producing Ram Charan's Game Changer? He calls it a 'first wrong step'
Game Changer, starring Ram Charan in the lead role, hit the big screens earlier for Sankranti this year. Following its release, the movie was a major dud at the box office and received negative reviews. Now, the film's producer has reacted to bankrolling the Shankar directorial. In an interview with M9 News, the popular Telugu cinema producer said, 'When making big films with big directors, 100% problems are going to come up. Not only for me but for most everyone.' 'There was an editor's statement about Game Changer once having a runtime of 4 and a half hours. That is true, and such interference is sure to come when working with big directors,' he added. Continuing his words, Raju admitted that complications will come up and the responsibility of handling them lies with the producer. Additionally, Dil Raju made it clear how Game Changer was a 'wrong step' from his side and said, 'In my film career, I never worked with such big directors like Shankar. Game Changer is my first wrong step. I should have clearly mentioned my points in the contract and moved into production, but I didn't. It was my mistake.' (Translated from Telugu) About Game Changer For those unversed, Game Changer was a political action drama starring Ram Charan in the lead role, which released on January 10, 2025. The film tells the story of an honest IAS officer who takes on corrupt politicians to protect the system and society. With the RRR actor playing dual roles as father and son, the film directed by Shankar showcased an ensemble cast of performers like Kiara Advani, Anjali, SJ Suryah, Srikanth, Sunil, Jayaram, and more in key roles. Following the movie's failure at the box office, it is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. In an early interview, editor Shameer Muhammed, who partly worked on the film, recalled his experience with director Shankar as a bad one and regretted working with him. Coming to Ram Charan's work front, the actor is currently shooting for the movie Peddi, directed by Buchi Babu Sana. The sports action drama is slated to release on March 27, 2026, with Janhvi Kapoor playing the romantic lead.
