Virupaksha preview: All you need to know about Sai Dharam Tej, Samyuktha’s thriller directed by Karthik Dandu

Sai Dharam Tej, after a life-threatening road mishap, is returning to action with a mystical thriller titled Virupaksha, that hits screens tomorrow. Sukumar’s former associate Karthik Dandu makes his directorial debut with the film that features Samyuktha (Menon) as the female lead. Bvsn Prasad is bankrolling the film under Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra in collaboration with Sukumar Writings.

Virupaksha has an ensemble cast comprising Sai Chand, Brahmaji, Sunil, Ajay and others in pivotal roles as well. Sukumar has penned the screenplay for the project. The film has music by Kantara, Vikranth Rona fame Ajaneesh Lokanath (it’s the latter’s Telugu debut as well). Shamdat Sainudeen cranks the camera for the thriller edited by Navin Nooli. Sri Nagendra Tangala is the production designer.

What’s Virupaksha about?

The film is set in a village in the late 80s and early 90s era whose residents believe in several myths and superstitions. When a series of eerie events cause anxiety among the villagers, a youngster is determined to find answers. Virupaksha, as per the maker’s statement, will have the protagonist confronting a form-less enemy and addressing the influences of practices like black magic too.

How did Virupaksha materialise?

Director Karthik Dandu, while remembering how the film shaped up, said, “When I was always down and out in my life, I always watched horror films and thrillers. Virupaksha is not a horror film but it is based on a series of real incidents. I gave a different spin to the tale, discussing a make-believe situation where the myths can’t be ignored.”

“Sukumar (garu) liked the story and began working on the screenplay whenever he found the time. As we kept writing the script, the span of the film increased over time and a big producer like Bvsn Prasad came on board. I wasn’t expecting much in terms of casting but they gave a choice to narrate the script to Sai Dharam Tej. There was no looking back later,” the director added.

What is the USP of Virupaksha?

The fact that the film is a mystical thriller, in the post Karthikeya 2 era, is a certain advantage to draw crowds to theatres. Sai Dharam Tej’s return to cinema after a brief hiatus contributes to the curiosity around the film in addition to the presence of the hit-machine Samyuktha.

The promos, music and the trailers have managed to generate buzz as well. The director says the film will be a perfect big-screen experience visually and will be on par with Ramgopal Varma in terms of sound design (Sync Cinema). Composer Ajaneesh’s expertise in thrillers is also expected to work in the team’s favour.

When and in how many languages is Virupaksha releasing?

Virupaksha will release in theatres worldwide only in the Telugu version on April 21. Given the film’s shoot was wrapped in the first week of April, the makers didn’t get enough time to work on the post-production of the other languages. Post the Telugu release, the team will take a call on the timing of other versions.

When and where to watch Virupaksha on OTT?

Netflix has acquired the post-theatrical streaming rights of Virupaksha. The film is slated to premiere on the streamer in the last week of May.