Baang release date: Raghu Dixit-Shanvi film sets up clash with Kshetrapathi

The Kannada film Baang has been in the news not only for its interesting subject – a dark comedy about group of friends fighting for their lives as they come in the crosshairs of a set of gangsters. The film, directed by Sree Ganesh Parashuram, has also created buzz because it has popular musician and composer Raghu Dixit in a full-fledged role, as a gangster called Daddy.

Amid the battle for this bag, there’s also the matter of the rivalry between Daddy and Leona (Shanvi Srivastava) that the group of friends have to negotiate. Saathvika, Ritvik Muralidhar, Natya Ranga, Sunil Gujjar, Jahangir, Nagendra Sha, among others are also a part of the primary cast. Interestingly, Raghu is only serving as actor on this project, with one of the leads, Ritvik doing the needful in the music department. “When they first approached me, I thought it would be to compose for the film, but then they wanted me to act, which I didn’t agree for immediately. But they followed up with me for several days and I finally said I would do it, on the condition that if I am not up to the task, they should relieve me after the first day. All went well and I thoroughly enjoyed working with this team,” Raghu had said at the teaser launch.

Today, the makers announced that the film will be in theatres this August, and have zeroed in on 18th as the D-Day. As of now, the only other Kannada film to stake claim to the date is Naveen Shankar’s Kshetrapathi, which is a hard-hitting tale about the agrarian crisis. However, a week later, Raj B Shetty’s much-awaited Toby will be in theatres and the week after that it’s Rakshit Shetty’s Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, making it a tight window for Baang.