The supreme star of Tamil films Sarathkumar is playing the lead role in the direction of eminent Kannada film director N.Om Prakash Rao who had so far directed 23 films in Kannada. Shankre Gowda and Shanker Reddy from Bangalore are the producers of this Tamil film that got the green signal on July 14 the birthday of actor Sarathkumar the current President of Tamil cinema Artists Association.
Actor Sarathkumar who was residing in Ulsoor area of Bangalore in late 1970's was dispatching newspapers as a young boy to earn his living. A gentleman and extremely humble personality Sarathkumar grown up in the last three decades in heaps and bounds agreed for playing the lead role in the national interest subject explained by director N.Omprakash Rao at one shot. The subject he has taken up is on the eradication of terrorism.
It will be either Sneha or Anushka opposite Sarathkumar. Dilip from Bangalore will be playing younger brother to Sarathkumar. Veteran Kannada actor Srinivasamurthy will be in the father role of Sarathkumar. Vidyasagar will be scoring the music says director Rao.
The film shooting will be held in Afghanistan, Hongkong, Chennai, Bangalore and Madurai. The shooting for the film begins in the month of November and conclude in April 2009. This is an expensive film and the cost of production would be Rs.10 crores says producer Shanker Reddy and Shankre Gowda.
Director N.Omprakash Rao is currently directing 'Putta' starring 'Dhuniya' fame Vijay and 'Kiran Bedi' starring Malashri in the title role. The other films in Kannada lined up for Rao is the prestigious one 'AK 97' starring Shivarajakumar, Ompuri in lead roles. The 'AK 47' Kannada film which he had directed was super hit. Rao is having the muhurut for 'AK97' on 31st December 2008 midnight 12. There are proposals for him to direct a film in Telugu starring Jagapathi Babu and Srikanth. In the pipeline he has an offer to direct a Malayalam film.
N.Omprakash Rao who knows Tamil language and can easily converse is learning the language to write and read. A comedy actor too in Kannada cinema Rao's 'Thipparahalli Tharlegalu' in the direction of national repute director S.V.Rajendra Singh is complete. Another reputed director of Kannada cinema S.Narayan is also playing lead role with N.Omprakash Rao and comedy hero Komalkumar in 'Thipparahalli Tharlegalu'.