Choo Mantar is actor Sharan's first film with director Navaneeth, best known for the horror-thriller Karvva. This time around, Navaneeth has stuck to the horror genre, but with Sharan as his leading man, there's a fair bit of humour too. Produced by Tarun Shivappa, the film also stars Meghana Gaonkar, Aditi Prabhudeva, Chikkanna, Prabhu Mundkur, among others.
Choo Mantar, according to director Navaneeth, is a horror comedy with thriller elements. Sharan will be seen in as many as three different looks in the film.
Navaneeth, who made the hit horror flick Karvva with Tilak and Rohitt, returns to the genre, but with ample humour in the narrative, given that he's got Sharan in the lead. The film, he says, has a hyper-linked narrative, with three different story arcs, in which the protagonist, played by Sharan, is the only common thread.
Aditi says she took up the role in Choo Mantar for three reasons - for starters, she's a sucker for the horror genre. Navaneeth's Karvva is a film that she's seen multiple times. While she's a fan of the director, she is an even bigger admirer of leading man Sharan, she said at the first look launch of the film on Monday, January 2.
Prabhu plays Alex, an NRI who returns to India and then faces a series of supernatural events in his home. The actor is paired with Meghana Gaonkar in the film.
Meghana remained tight-lipped about her role in the film, saying only that she is glad to have been a part of it. The offer to collaborate with Navaneeth came nearly 4 years ago, she says, when she was fresh off Kalidasa Kannada Meshtru. Navaneeth, she added, should be an actor, as he acted out pretty much everything he wanted her to do, which made her job a lot easier.
Ranjani Bharadwaj has a pivotal role in the film, playing a queen called Mogra, who is of Marathi descent. "For a newcomer, I am honoured at the opportunity to work with so many established actors," she said.
Dharma plays a cop in Choo Mantar. His role, he says, has major combination scenes with Sharan, Prabhu and Meghana.
The first-look motion poster that was revealed yesterday evening kicks off the promotions of Choo Mantar. The film, produced by Tarun Shivappa, has been shot in locations across Mysuru, Bengaluru and snowy Uttarakhand. Dubbing has been completed and Navaneeth and team are currently in the last stages of post-production.