JOIN USUnfazed by the delay
Mammootty is playing the lead role in Shikari and because of the strike, none of his films are being released. Director Abhay Simha says he’s a little anxious about the film and its delay.
Shikari is Abhay’s second film and Mammootty’s first Kannada film, in which he portrays two different looks. There are two parts to the film — the pre-independence and post-independence era.
Abhay Simha says he has dedicated a good three years to the making of the film and that the delay is a botheration. “But I feel it’s better to have a late release that is well-planned than have a bad release. We wanted to release the Kannada and Malayalam versions simultaneously but this strike has toppled our plans. But when it happens, the release will be done in a big way. We are planning to invite well-known people from the literary circuit and the film industry,” Abhay tells Metrolife.
Abhay points out that people have been following the making of the film, especially because this is Mammooty’s first Kannada film. “The film has already got its fair share of publicity, considering that Mammootty is playing a substantial role. This is my second venture but I am hoping that this will launch me in a big way as a director,” says Abhay.
He further points out that the delay in the release is also because Mammootty will make public appearances only after the strike is called off.
The film has been shot in and around Bangalore, Mysore, Cochin and Srirangapatna. The estimated budget of the film is about Rs five crore. And K Manju, the producer of the film, is unfazed by the delay. “Every big budget film will encounter some delay but it’s worth waiting for the release. Mammootty has acted in it and people will surely come to watch it,” says Manju.