Rider Trailer: Nikhil Kumar’s next is a classy mass entertainer

When Nikhil Kumar’s third film, Rider, was announced, the makers had said that it was a sport-based action drama. But going by the trailer that was launched last evening, it appears that the sport (in this case, basketball) is only pretense for more action in this classy mass entertainer. The trailer, much like the earlier teaser, has loads of action, but there are glimpses of not only a love story, but heavy-duty family drama and emotions as well. Directed by Vijay Kumar Konda, Rider is set to release in theatres on December 24 in Kannada and Telugu. 

“Rider is a feel-good love story with elements of action, in which Nikhil is a basketball player. The film has been made as a bilingual because both of Nikhil’s earlier films, Jaguar and Seetharama Kalyana, were also released for the Telugu market and did fairly well,” said producer Sunil Gowda of Shivanandi Entertainments, adding, “For the action sequences we have stunt masters Ravi Varma, Chethan DSouza and Arjun Raj on board, while song choreography is by Bhushan. The film has been shot across locations in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Chikkamagaluru, and Leh-Ladakh, among others, which have been beautifully captured by cinematographer Sreesha Kudavalli, making Rider a visual extravaganza.”

Watch the trailer here:  

The film pairs Nikhil with Kashmira Pardesi, who makes her Kannada debut with Rider, as well as Sampada Hulivana, and stars actors like Garuda Ram, Achyuth Kumar, Rajesh Nataranga, Chikkanna, Manju Pavagada, Niharika, Comedy Santhu and Dattanna in pivotal roles. Speaking at a media briefing earlier, Nikhil had said, “If you look at both my earlier films, be it Jaguar or Seetharama Kalyana, they’ve had ample doses of action and yet were family dramas. Rider, in that sense, is no different. Yes, we released an action teaser, because that is the kind of content that is appreciated in other markets, like Tollywood, for instance. That’s for the masses. Having said that, I must add that Rider has a love story at its core, which will appeal to young people. We are trying to show them the purity of true love with this film.”