<p class="bodytext">Kannada director Tharun Sudhir, known for his critically acclaimed ‘Kaatera’ returns as a producer for the second time. His first film was the Sharan-starrer ‘Guru Shishyaru’ (2022). The film is titled ‘Elumale’ (which translates to seven hills) and the story unfolds around Male Mahadeshwara, a pilgrim town that constitutes seven hills in a 77-hill range.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“It is set in Chamarajanagara, at the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border and is based on real incidents from the early 2000s,” Tharun tells Showtime. The one-night tale is a combination of an intense love story and a thriller. Rana plays a boy from Chamarajanagara and Priyanka Achar plays a girl from Salem, a Tamil Nadu town close to the Karnataka border.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The film is directed by debutante director Punit Rangaswamy who worked with Tharun as an assistant director in ‘Kaatera’. Punit has also written the lyrics for a song in ‘Guru Shishyaru’ and ‘Kaatera’.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While Rana last appeared in the film ‘Ekalavya’, this is Priyanka’s debut. Tharun was a judge on the Zee Kannada talent hunt show, ‘Mahanati’. That was where he first spotted Priyanka, who went on to win the competition. </p>.<p class="bodytext">As a producer, Tharun says he prefers to collaborate with directors whose stories excite him. “It’s the content that drives me into production. And when I’m not directing, I can be actively involved in production, which also helps me in direction,” he adds.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Speaking about the kind of stories that excite him, Tharun says, “I feel movies are always about the experience. If it’s a horror movie, we should be able to create a scary experience. If it’s a love story, you have to feel good. If it’s humour, you have to laugh out loud. So it’s not the genre, it’s the experience.” When he listens to a script, he should be able to experience it, irrespective of the genre. “If I feel like this is a story we need to tell the audience, if there’s a driving force behind it, then I feel like producing it,” he shares.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The reason for a lack of love stories in the Kannada film industry, Tharun believes, is because the genre does not appeal to today’s generation. “If we make an ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’ today, I’m not sure how it’ll be received. However, there have been attempts. For instance, ‘Vishnu Priya’ was released in 2025. It’s all about what the audience is asking,” he opines. Reflecting on the popularity of ‘Saiyaara’ with the younger audience, Tharun explains that what the audience wants “cannot be determined with one film”.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He believes that some of the new age filmmakers show great potential. “Last year we had some very good newcomers. Even ‘Su from So’ was made by a debut director. It’s always good when you have a lot of new talent coming in. I’m looking forward to it,” he shares.</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Elumale’ will be released in theatres next week.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Kannada director Tharun Sudhir, known for his critically acclaimed ‘Kaatera’ returns as a producer for the second time. His first film was the Sharan-starrer ‘Guru Shishyaru’ (2022). The film is titled ‘Elumale’ (which translates to seven hills) and the story unfolds around Male Mahadeshwara, a pilgrim town that constitutes seven hills in a 77-hill range.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“It is set in Chamarajanagara, at the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border and is based on real incidents from the early 2000s,” Tharun tells Showtime. The one-night tale is a combination of an intense love story and a thriller. Rana plays a boy from Chamarajanagara and Priyanka Achar plays a girl from Salem, a Tamil Nadu town close to the Karnataka border.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The film is directed by debutante director Punit Rangaswamy who worked with Tharun as an assistant director in ‘Kaatera’. Punit has also written the lyrics for a song in ‘Guru Shishyaru’ and ‘Kaatera’.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While Rana last appeared in the film ‘Ekalavya’, this is Priyanka’s debut. Tharun was a judge on the Zee Kannada talent hunt show, ‘Mahanati’. That was where he first spotted Priyanka, who went on to win the competition. </p>.<p class="bodytext">As a producer, Tharun says he prefers to collaborate with directors whose stories excite him. “It’s the content that drives me into production. And when I’m not directing, I can be actively involved in production, which also helps me in direction,” he adds.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Speaking about the kind of stories that excite him, Tharun says, “I feel movies are always about the experience. If it’s a horror movie, we should be able to create a scary experience. If it’s a love story, you have to feel good. If it’s humour, you have to laugh out loud. So it’s not the genre, it’s the experience.” When he listens to a script, he should be able to experience it, irrespective of the genre. “If I feel like this is a story we need to tell the audience, if there’s a driving force behind it, then I feel like producing it,” he shares.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The reason for a lack of love stories in the Kannada film industry, Tharun believes, is because the genre does not appeal to today’s generation. “If we make an ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’ today, I’m not sure how it’ll be received. However, there have been attempts. For instance, ‘Vishnu Priya’ was released in 2025. It’s all about what the audience is asking,” he opines. Reflecting on the popularity of ‘Saiyaara’ with the younger audience, Tharun explains that what the audience wants “cannot be determined with one film”.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He believes that some of the new age filmmakers show great potential. “Last year we had some very good newcomers. Even ‘Su from So’ was made by a debut director. It’s always good when you have a lot of new talent coming in. I’m looking forward to it,” he shares.</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Elumale’ will be released in theatres next week.</p>