Shivarajkumar’s Bhairathi Ranagal aiming for a March 2024 release

Bhairathi Ranagal is a character that Shivarajkumar wasn’t too sure of at first, considering that he makes an entry only in the second half of Mufti. But as someone who is not hellbent on being the centre of attraction all the time, the Century Star took it up and grew to love it. He also realised the potential the character had for future story-telling and now, he is ready to give that a shot.

Earlier this week, the Century Star got his second home production on the ground, which, as it turns out, is the much-awaited back-story on Bhairathi Ranagal, which will be directed by Mufti maker Narthan himself. The team had an official muhurtha to kick off proceedings, but shooting is expected to start only by the second week of June.

Although the film comes a good six years after Mufti, the good news is that the team does not intend to keep audiences waiting too long to see what they have in store. Director Narthan, who is looking at shooting the film across locations in Bellary, Mysuru, Mangaluru and Bengaluru, says that he will wind up Bhairathi Ranagal latest by the end of the year, with a tentative release scheduled for March 2024.

In Mufti, the narrative followed an undercover cop played by Sriimurali, attempting to gather information about a local gangster called Bhairathi Ranagal, who is sent to jail at the end of the film. Despite his ill-gotten wealth, Ranagal was a do-gooder for people in the village, who considered him a saviour. Narthan’s new film will examine how Ranagal came to be a gangster, as well as what transpired after his incarceration.

The team has stated that several characters from the original will return to reprise their roles, but it is not clear if Sriimurali will have a role here. The actor is currently busy with his film Bhageera, production of which was halted briefly, after he sustained an injury that needed medical intervention and rest.