Raw action may pay off 'Onkaara's' big budget

Bangalore, Sep 17 (IANS): Billed as the biggest budget film from the Kannada dream factory, actor-director Shivamani's "Onkaara" is another spin-off on the underworld with superstar Upendra and two Bollywood beauties in the lead.

Besides Preeti Jhangiani and Shweta Menon, the film also has Bollywood baddie and former ramp scorcher Rahul Dev. Others in the cast include Rangaayana Raghu.

Shivamani, known for his superlative shots, says the film is based on a real-life incident in Mumbai in 1994. "I read the story in a newspaper, followed up with some more details in other papers published in Mumbai. With that incident as a thread, I spun the film's story and script."

"It revolves around the underworld and has many dimensions," is how Shivamani sums it up.

The raw action and song sequences, shot extensively in locales like Switzerland and the 'desi' Mumbai, Mangalore and Kasaragod, are a big draw. The dialogues too are tailored for diehard Upendra fans.

This is the first time the two are working together. "The script impressed Upendra very much and he agreed to do the film. Even producer Kanakapura Srinivas was impressed," he says.

"'Onkaara' is a mind-boggling presentation and a perfect answer to the competition from non-Kannada films," says Srinivas.

Going by the way the audiences are lapping up Guru Kiran's music score, released by Akash Audio Company, the film could well be worth the money spent on its making.