Duniya Vijay’s second directorial, Bheema, to be officially launched on April 18

Duniya Vijay, who made his directorial debut last year with the gangster flick Salaga, is all set to return to the director’s chair. The film, Bheema, which is being bankrolled by Krishna Sarthak and Jagadeesh Gowda, is set to be officially launched on April 18. Vijay, who is now going by the moniker Sandalwood Salaga Vijay Kumar, took to social media to announce the same.

A few days ago, Vijay had also announced that he was looking at introducing a new talent to the Kannada industry with Bheema. Along with a poster, Vijay wrote, “Goddess Kaladevi always invites talented people to take her steps. I was new to the film industry. This is why I like to introduce talent in every movie I direct. Introducing the promising new artist Black Dragon Manju through the movie 'Bheema'. Manju is talented and hard working. Let all your encouragement be on Manju too.”

Bheema has been written by Vijay, who will direct and act in it. The film will see him reunite with music man Charanraj yet again after Salaga, as well as dialogue writer Maasthi. The announcement of his 28thfilm was accompanied with a first-look poster of a man, presumably Vijay, riding a bike, with the hand on the throttle all bloodied, signifying that this too will be an action flick. The actor-filmmaker has not confirmed yet if Bheema too will be an underworld subject like Salaga, although he has said multiple times that he finds it easier to write stories about that world.

Meanwhile, Vijay is also busy shooting for his portions in Nandamuri Balakrishna’s upcoming film in which he plays the antagonist. Although the team has been tight-lipped about the subject of the film, ever since the first-look poster of Balakrishna came, the buzz has been that it is a remake of the Shivarajkumar-starrer Mufti, in which the Century Star played a don. This got fans wondering if Vijay is doing the role played by Sriimurali in the original.