Team ‘Premada Oorali’ on striking gold at the box office

‘Premada Oorali’, a Kannada emotional drama led by Rangayana Raghu and fresh faces Shree Raam, Thapaswini Poonacha, and Ramika Shivu, is driven by director Manoj Kumar’s simple tale and Sunaad Gowtham’s catchy tunes

Published - October 09, 2026 04:35 pm IST

Shree Raam and Rangayana Raghu in ‘Premada Oorali’. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

For the members of Premada Oorali, the reality of delivering one of the biggest hits in Kannada cinema in 2026 has not sunk in yet. “Right now, we are enjoying every moment,” says Shree Raam, who plays the protagonist in the movie. “We don’t want to think too far ahead about our careers, nor have we fully realised the kind of box office phenomenon our movie has created.”

Premada Oorali has entered the record books in Sandalwood, poised to make a roaring entry into the ₹50 crore club. For a film made on a budget of ₹2 crore, featuring no stars except a veteran, Rangayana Raghu, the achievement is the stuff of dreams.

Apart from Raghu and Shree Ram, the film also stars, Thapaswini Poonacha and Ramika Shivu. A simple tale about relationships, the film explores the bond between father and son and a love triangle of sorts against a rural backdrop.

Thapaswini Poonacha and Shree Ram in ‘Premada Oorali’. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“Our director manifested from the beginning that the movie would be a musical hit,” says composer Sunaad Gowtham about Manoj Kumar, the captain of the ship. Manoj’s journey to fame has been remarkable, beginning his stint in films as a torch boy in theatres.

“That’s exactly what made me confident about his vision,” says Sunaad. “Someone who has watched hundreds of movies as a torch boy definitely knows the pulse of the ‘mass’ audience.”

What kept Manoj in cinema despite tough beginnings was his unwavering belief in his stories. “I believe in telling stories on familiar emotions. I don’t enjoy experimenting in cinema, and I don’t want my audience to feel burdened by trying to understand my indulgence.”

Sunaad’s music was Manoj’s backbone throughout Premada Oorali's journey. The viral title track has become the film’s major identity. “We wanted children to sing it,” says Sunaad. “Songs sung by kids are simple melodies that anyone can hum along.” Moreover, Sunaad’s rich experience in composing music for television serials helped while creating the title track.

“For television serials, the title song is very crucial. The title woven into the song acts like a hook, as it did with my hit number for the serial Jothe Jotheyali. So, I was excited to produce the movie’s title track because I knew what goes into creating a special one.”

For Shree, Premada Oorali gave him the role he was craving. “I was getting urban-centric college-boy roles. Manoj sir dared to see me as a farmer on screen,” says Shree, before opening up on his preparations for the role. “I practiced farming and spent time around cattle to get the body language right.”

Thapaswini is happy with the responses to her performance. “As the film became more intense, I had to express myself through my eyes. I had very few dialogues. I am glad people were able to emotionally connect with my character.”

Ramika Shivu in ‘Premada Oorali’. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Rangayana Raghu is getting praise for his performance as a loving father. “He would become younger at heart around us, making an effort to gel with us and be one among us. That’s his way of learning, and that shows his greatness,” observes Shree.

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Manoj now has the rare feat of succeeding in both parallel and mainstream genres. His film Akshi, about eye donation, won the National Award in 2021. “The challenge for someone who begins with an arthouse or parallel movie is that he will be typecast. People expected similar stories from me. I am happy I was able to break my mould and give a total entertainer,” says Manoj.

The family crowd, craving simple stories, has lapped up the movie, roaring for each character inside cinema halls. “We made a movie with innocence,” says co-writer and co-producer Devendra Medarametla, and that is perhaps the right way to see the making of the film.

Published - October 09, 2026 04:35 pm IST

Kannada cinema / Indian cinema / entertainment (general)

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