Exclusive! Tarak Ponnappa's Amruth Apartments will release in theatres: Director Gururaj Kulkarni

It’s been almost two years since Gururaj Kulkarni, who forayed into Kannada cinema as the producer of Last Bus, decided to turn director with a thriller called Amruth Apartments, with Tarak Ponnappa and theatre artiste Urvashi Govardhan (making her Kannada film debut) in the lead. By the time the film was ready to hit screens, the pandemic struck and Gururaj has been waiting patiently for an opening to bring Amruth Apartments to movie halls.

Speaking to OTTplay, Gururaj says that he is hellbent on a theatrical outing for the film not only because it is his directorial debut, but because the content was designed for a big screen viewing. “We are preparing to release the film in the coming weeks and will finalise a date based on night-curfew relaxations in certain key districts. The current 50% occupancy limitation is not an issue, as we are confident in our content and release plan. We held on for nearly two years for the film to release in theatres. In fact, I am not considering an OTT platform collaboration until after a theatrical release,” he says.

Amruth Apartments follows a Kannadiga -Bengali couple played by Tarak and Urvashi, who are contemplating divorce, but then end up witnessing a crime. “This is a new-gen film about a couple who fall in love, get married and then realise that each has certain quirks that the other person cannot deal with. Like, for instance, the simple matter of non-veg cooking, which one does not like. This couple is a representation of others like them, who commit to a relationship, then invest in a life together with a home, car, etc. But will their love withstand hardships that come along the way?” asks Gururaj.

The film also stars Manasa Joshi as the investigation officer looking into the circumstances of the crime, with Balaji Manohar in a pivotal role. SD Aravinda, who had directed Last Bus, is the music composer.