Rakshit Shetty to direct and act as in lead role for ‘Richard Anthony’

Express News Service

Rakshit Shetty is teaming up with Hombale Films for its tenth project. The actor is donning multiple hats for the story. Apart from writing the story, Rakshit is set to direct and act as the lead in the upcoming project titled Richard Anthony.

Now, an official announcement of the film along with the teaser has been unveiled. The production house shared it on various social media platforms and wrote, “Will his dream and destiny meet each other? Catch the glimpse of our next Richard Anthony – Lord of the sea, (sic).”

The intriguing teaser features actor Achyuth Kumar, who fears the return of Richard Anthony before the latter’s grave. Producer Vijay Kiragandue, of Hombale Films, who has bankrolled films like KGF duology, Yuvarathnaa, and Salaar, is excited to team up with Rakshit Shetty.

He says, “Rakshit Shetty is cinema personified; good cinema runs in his blood. His creative brilliance and dedication are well known among cinema lovers. Hombale Films are pleased to collaborate with him for our 10th film, which will be a refreshing story with layers of mystery.”  The film is expected to go on floors in January 2022.

Meanwhile, Rakshit Shetty talking to Cinema Express shares his enthusiasm for getting back to directing a film. According to him, Richard Anthony is the second coming of Ulidavaru Kandante in many ways yet starkly different from it.

“The desire to make this film has been there for quite some time.  However, when I wrote Ulidavaru Kandante, I didn’t have any idea of making a sequel or prequel. Having said that, I wanted to take forward the story of Richie because of his popularity. Secondly, when I started exploring the story, I felt that the universe already had a plan,” says Rakshit Shetty, adding, “I knew I had left many things in Ulidavaru Kandante ambiguous. A few of those unanswered elements have waited for me to explore. I can connect with it now.”

This is Rakshit’s first collaboration with Hombale Films. According to the actor-director, the best part of working with this production house is that a filmmaker doesn’t have to worry about anything else other than his craft. The rest will be taken care of, he says.

“I have had the complete liberty as a director whenever I made films under my own production house. Once I get the budget ready, my friends took care of the projects. Kirik Party was one such project, which I enjoyed the most. Equally, as an actor, I enjoyed working in Simple Agi Ondh Love Story. One, it was Suni’s direction, and the whole crew made up for one good team. Probably, Richard Anthony will be my third film, where I will creatively explore myself as a director and actor. At the same time, it becomes a responsibility to not overspend. Though they won’t stop you, from my end, I should not go out of my way,” he says.

The production house is known for making pan-Indian films, and when asked if Richard Anthony will follow suit, he says, “A lot of things in the film are rooted to the soil of Udupi and Mangaluru.

However, I also plan to take this film to other regions and authentically tell it in their language. The producer and I have discussed such possibilities. We have concluded that we will first make the film and then decide how to go about such plans.

Rakshit, who last helmed Ulidavaru Kandante, is excited to get back to direction, “When I direct, I don’t worry much about facing the camera. Since I have written the story, I would have thoroughly understood the subject. I focus more on the direction. Also, I have great support from the technical team, which has music director Ajaneesh Loknath and DOP Karm Chawla,” says Rakshit Shetty.

The actor is planning to start the film as soon as he completes shooting for Hemanth M Rao’s Sapta Sagaradaache Ello.