Gandhada Gudi on OTT: This is where late Puneeth Rajkumar’s dream project will stream after its theatrical run

November 1, 2021 was when the teaser of Gandhada Gudi was to have been released. The docu-feature, directed by Amoghavarsha of Wild Karnataka fame, and backed by Puneeth Rajkumar, who also featured in it, was about the forests and wildlife of the state. After announcing the release date of the teaser, Puneeth had declined media interaction requests about what his dream project, asking everyone to wait until the teaser was out and then engage with him in a conversation about what he was bringing to the table.

Unfortunately, that was not to be. Puneeth succumbed to a massive cardiac arrest and passed away on October 29. When the teaser was eventually revealed in December, director Amoghavarsha had said that the team would bring the film to big screens as a tribute to the late actor, who was very excited about their collaboration. “Although we are sad that Puneeth is not around anymore, fulfilling his dream of releasing Gandhada Gudi is the best way to celebrate and honour him. My effort has been to present this project, which I would define as experiential cinema, exactly as he envisioned. This is a film that is based on true events. There are some stories that we see or hear, but there are others that we experience and that is what Gandhada Gudi is about,” said Amoghavarsha, adding, “This film took us to almost every nook and cranny of Karnataka over the one year that we took to put this together. But what’s most important is that this is not to be confused with a wildlife documentary. This is a film that tells a lot of stories and emotions and has several messages as well. It is also perhaps the first time that Puneeth is seen without makeup; he wanted people to see him just the way he is. He did not want his star status to reflect in any aspect of the making.”

Gandhada Gudi opens in theatres on October 28, on the occasion of Puneeth’s first death anniversary. The satellite and digital rights of the docu-feature have already been sold. Amazon Prime Video, which has an ongoing relationship with the late Puneeth Rajkumar's PRK Productions will be the streaming partner for Gandhada Gudi. The film is likely to be available within a month of its theatrical release.