Rishab Shetty: Ramya is my old crush and favourite heroine

Kannada cinema’s Queen Bee, Ramya, is currently prepping for her comeback to cinema. She’s producing the female-centric Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye, which Raj B Shetty is writing and directing for her. Prior to the official announcement, although there were rumours that Ramya and Raj were collaborating on a project, there were other murmurs that she could be working with either Rakshit Shetty or Rishab Shetty too, as she had mentioned that she was working with “a Shetty”. While that record has been set clear, the possibility of a Ramya-Rishab collaboration cannot be ruled out. And here’s why…

About a month ago, when OTTplay posed the question to Rishab if he was working on Ramya’s comeback, he had laughed it off, but said that she was his one-time crush and favourite heroine. This is something that Rishab has been saying at every media interaction over the past several years, which he has been repeating now during the Kantara promotions too. The difference now is that Ramya is in active comeback mode and she and Rishab have a mutual admiration for each other’s work. Could a collaboration be on the cards then?

Rishab, who is currently basking in the success of his most-latest directorial Kantara, has at least two other films lined up that he will direct. One is Rudraprayag, which will have Anant Nag in the lead, while the other is an untitled film with Shiva Rajkumar. One of Ramya’s last films before her sabbatical to pursue politics was Aryan with the Century Star. Aryan was Ramya’s first film with Shiva Rajkumar, although she’d begun her movie career with the late Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar with Abhi and did Aakash and Arasu also with him. A reunion with Shiva Rajkumar would be ideal, unless, of course, Rishab decides to act with her. Among his slate of upcoming acting commitments is Bell Bottom 2 with Hariprriya and Bachelor Party with Siri Ravikumar, as well as Antagoni Shetty and Mahaniyare Mahileyare. The latter was to be directed by Rohit Padaki, but the Rathnan Prapancha maker is now busy with Uttarakaandaa for KRG Studios with Dhananjaya in the lead.

Ramya’s production venture, meanwhile, is in association with KRG Studios, led by Karthik Gowda, who is also executive producer at Hombale Films, which backed Rishab’s Kantara. The actress was at the post-premiere party of Kantara.

Fans are keen to see a Rishab and Ramya collaboration. The ball is now in their court… what say, Shettre?