'Uppi Dada M.B.B.S.' - Munnabhai in Kannada too

Bangalore, July 7 (IANS): A third version of "Munnabhai M.B.B.S." is now getting ready as a Kannada film.

The south's top production company Gemini Film Circuit had bought the remake rights in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. While the company has already started shooting for the Tamil and Telugu versions of the film, it launched the Kannada project titled "Uppi Dada M.B.B.S" last week.

The shooting of the film started after a simple launch in a Bangalore temple.

It is being directed by D. Rajendra Babu and has music by R.P. Patnayak. H.N. Ramachandra, who won the national award for his brilliant photography

in the Kannada film "Dweepa" is the cameraman.

The title role essayed by Sanjay Dutt in the original has superstar Upendra in the Kannada film.

The female lead is being played by Uma, who had earlier given an extraordinary performance in the Tangar Bachchan directed Tamil film "Thendral".

The daughter of actress Sumithra and Rajendra Babu is excited about being directed by her father. Though she has acted in over 20 films in Tamil and Telugu, this will be her first Kannada venture.

"I am happy that my first Kannada film is being directed by my father and that I am paired with a top star like Upendra," she said.

According to Rajendra Babu, who had earlier directed Upendra in "Naanu Naane", it would not have been possible for anyone to make the film without Upendra in the lead.

"It is just natural to choose him for the lead role. I have also told him to write the dialogues, because I want to use his volcanic talents as a writer. He will also write lyrics for the songs of the film," he said.

"If Upendra gives us continuous 'call-sheets' as he has promised, we hope to release the Kannada film before the Tamil and Telugu versions," he added.

Patnayak said he has already composed the songs.

"I have also taken into consideration Upendra's image among his fans," he said.

Though remakes in Kannada do not enjoy tax exemption benefits, the producers are hoping that the original Hindi film gets a national award for its content. Then the Kannada film can get tax exemption benefits like any other original Kannada film.

The Karnataka government's policy is to treat any national award winning film, remade in Kannada on par with original Kannada films.