Kannada film news: Jayatheertha to direct Puneet?

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After making a mark in the Kannada film industry with his very first directorial Olave Mandara, Jayatheertha is in demand. While the initial reports claim that he might be directing yet another film for Shrikant, who debuted in Olave Mandara, sources now say that producer Govindu may approach him to direct a film starring Puneet.

Govindu had earlier wanted to make a film with director Prem and Puneet but that fell through. Now the producer seems to want to rope in Jayatheertha and Puneet.

Govindu's currently producing Guruprasad's Director's Special. His last production was Vishnu Sena.

Jogayya is among the most awaited releases of the year. The Shivarajkumar starrer is a sequel to Jogi, which ran to packed houses.Gurukiran's music was among the highlights of the film and this has added to the expectations of the new film.

Harikrishna has composed the music for Jogayya.

What's going to add to the hype is that superstar Upendra has lent his voice for one of the songs: Thaglakonde naanu thaglakonde naanu gandbeeri Rakshithan kyli thaglakonde. Thaglakonde naanu  thaglakonde naanu baaybadki Manjulan kyli thaglakonde.

The film is for a May release.

Upendra had earlier directed Shivarajkumar in blockbuster Om.

Actress Sharmila Mandre is going to get busy with promotions in June. Two of her films will release after the IPL season: an untitled Tamil film, and Kannada comedy Dhan Dhana Dhan.

Sharmila will be seen in a comedy film after a long gap. She was last seen playing a comic role in Venkata in Sankata.  

"Dhan Dhana Dhan is a no- brainer. It's going to be a very relaxed and fun experience," she says, adding, "I enjoy doing comedy as I am a fun person. It's difficult for me to play emotional roles."

Sharmila will pair up with Prem for the first time in this film. "I liked him in Jothe Jotheyalli and Nenapirali and was looking forward to working with him," she says. The film is a remake of Hindi film Hum Kissi Se Kam Nahi, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai and Ajay Devgn.

The Kannada version will have Kishore and Ananth Nag in the leads. Sharmila, however, claims that film is only inspired by the Hindi film. "Ramnath who directed Budhivantha is directing this film. Budhivanta was also a remake of a Tamil film but the Kannada version had a newness about it," she says.

If in Dhan Dhana Dhan, the actress plays a comic role, in her Tamil film, she plays a foreign-returned confused desi who falls for a Chennai boy.