'Kantara': Did you know Puneeth Rajkumar was to play lead?
Sandalwood underdog Kantara turned out to be a headline maker across the country. While its original version was released on September 30, after the huge positive response that the film received, it was dubbed and released in other languages. Its director and lead actor Rishab Shetty recalled how late superstar Puneeth Rajkumar was supposed to play the lead role and why it didn't happen.
Here's what Shetty said about Rajkumar's role in the movie
Shetty recalled narrating the story to Rajkumar in an interview with The Indian Express. "His other projects continued to keep him away from Kantara," Shetty said. "One day, he called me and asked me to go ahead with the film without him. He told me that if I waited for him, I may not be able to do the film that year," Shetty added.
'Rajkumar was eager to watch the film'
Shetty further recalled meeting Rajkumar at Bhajarangi 2 event, which happened two days before his demise. "He enquired me about the project and asked me not to compromise on my vision for the film. I showed him a few still pictures from the shoot. He was very happy for me. And he told me he was eager to watch the film," Shetty said.
Rajkumar breathed his last in October 2021
On October 29, 2021, Rajkumar passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest when he was working out at the gym. On Tuesday, the Karnataka government conferred the state's highest civilian award Karnataka Ratna to Appu posthumously. It also coincided with the death anniversary of the superstar. The event was attended by Kollywood superstar Rajinikanth and Telugu star Jr. NTR in Bengaluru.
Will 'Kantara' touch the Rs. 50cr milestone at box office?
Meanwhile, speaking of the box office of Kantara, the film has collected Rs. 47.55cr. Since it has been witnessing a steady footfall and as no big movies are arriving until Friday, it is expected that Kantara will cross Rs. 50cr mark on Thursday. Actors Sapthami Gowda, Kishore, and Achyuth Kumar also feature in the movie, which was produced by KGF's Hombale Films.
