Upadhyaksha release date – Chikkanna’s romantic comedy to be in theatres on THIS date

Comedian Chikkanna makes the switch to lead hero with Upadhyaksha, directed by Chandra Mohan, which has been ready for release for a while.

Upadhyaksha marks Chikkanna's first as a leading man

It is not rare for a supporting actor, comedian or even villain to make the switch to leading man in Kannada cinema. Take, for instance, actor Sharan, whose Adhyaksha co-star Chikkanna is now following suit and donning the protagonist’s role in the upcoming romantic comedy Upadhyaksha directed by Anil Kumar. Set in Mandya against a village backdrop, the film has been ready for a while, and had a few unsuccessful attempts at making it to theatres. The team has now announced that they’ve fixed its release date – Upadhyaksha will release in theatres on January 26, 2024. Earlier this year, it was Challenging Star Darshan who had a Republic Day release with Kranti, which did not work at the box office as it was pitted against Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan.

Exclusive! I will start shooting for my debut as hero, Upadhyaksha, only in January, says Chikkanna

As of now, Updhyaksha will be in direct competition with Vikram’s Thangalaan, directed by Pa Ranjith, and comes only weeks after Dhanush’s Captain Miller, which is the 2024 Pongal/Sankranti release. Rajinikanth’s Lal Salaam is also expected sometime in January, so, whether or not Republic Day will be a good outing for Chikkanna’s film will have to be seen. The film, meanwhile, pairs the actor with Malaika Vasupal and has P Ravishankar, Sadhu Kokila, Kari Subbu, among others on the cast. Sharan makes a pivotal cameo as well in the film that has music by Arjun Janya.

Comedian Chikkanna to star as the lead in 'Upadhyaksha', sequel to Sharan starrer Adhyaksha

During the teaser launch of Upadhyaksha, Chikkanna had shared that he was widely mocked for turning hero, as people did not consider him leading man material. Over the years, Chikkanna has had several offers to make the transition, but had resisted until this film came along. Interestingly, Rocking Star Yash had once said that a talented comedian like Chikkanna ought not turn hero. During the promotions of Masterpiece, which was Chikkanna’s milestone 50th film, Yash had said in jest that he would ‘kill Chikkanna’ if he ever made the transition, as the Kannada industry is in dire need of comedy talent like him who can shoulder scenes.

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