Rakshit Shetty’s Richard Anthony: Pramod Shetty has an update on the Ulidavaru Kandanthe spin-off

It was in July 2021 that Kannada actor-filmmaker Rakshit Shetty announced his intention to return to direction with the Ulidavaru Kandanthe spin-off Richard Anthony. Over 4 and a half years later, and more than 2 years since his last release, there’s been no indication of a possible start on the project. Rumours galore did the rounds in this time, including that the project had been shelved as Hombale Films allegedly pulled out as production banner, among others.

Rakshit’s look in the very rare public appearances he’s made in the last couple of years also sparked speculation about the status of the film and that it was unlikely to be made. Reports had emerged that Rakshit had been approached for a biopic on the life of Shivakumariah, a soldier-turned-entrepreneur, fuelling further rumours that Richard Anthony had been put on the backburner.

Also read: Rakshit Shetty resurfaces; netizens say it will be a while before he starts Richard Anthony 

Is Richard Anthony happening?

However, Pramod Shetty, who played Dinesha in Ulidavaru Kandanthe and is a part of Richard Anthony too, says that fans ought not to lose hope. Speaking on the sidelines of an event for his upcoming film Shesha, Pramod said that the script of Richard Anthony is finally ready and that the team will head into pre-production in 2-3 months’ time. Incidentally, the actual start of Richard Anthony coincides with the timeline that Rakshit had predicted for the film to be in theatres.

Also read: Rakshit Shetty’s ‘big projects take time’ statement divides fans; excites some, others want him to move on from Richard Anthony 

Back in 2024, in a conversation with OTTplay, the actor-filmmaker had said that he was working on the final draft of the film and would likely go on floors in early 2025. A year and a half is the time he’d said he’d need to finish it and bring it to theatres, suggesting a mid-2026 release. Going by that logic, Richard Anthony will be a late 2027 or early 2028 release.

Also read: Rakshit Shetty’s film line-up exciting, but needs to pick up the pace, say fans

Richard Anthony is said to be both a prequel and sequel to the neo noir gangster film Ulidavaru Kandanthe, considering that Rakshit’s character Richie had died in the original film. Filming is expected to be largely in and around Udupi, although Rakshit has spoken about casting a wider net for locations that suit the film’s time period. Following the completion of his 2023 two-part film with Hemanth M Rao, Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, Rakshit had said that the foreseeable future would be dedicated to his directorial.

Following Richard Anthony, Rakshit said he wanted to do Punyakoti as a 2-part project and then Mid-way to Moksha, a film in which he wished to collaborate with both Raj B Shetty and Rishab Shetty. This was way back in February 2023, though and in the time since, Raj has said that it was highly unlikely to materialize, given the meteoric rise in stature Rishab has had since then and the scale of projects he has been associating with.

Richard Anthony FAQs

Q. What is Richard Anthony about?

A. Richard Anthony was meant to be the prequel to Rakshit Shetty's directorial debut, Ulidavaru Kandanthe, focusing on the actor-filmmaker's character, Richie. The film will bring Rakshit back to the director's chair, but is yet to take off.

Q. Where to watch Ulidavaru Kandanthe?

A. Ulidavaru Kandanthe is available to stream on Sun NXT (Via OTTplay Premium also). It has been hailed as a cult classic.