With the shooting of Bagheera wrapped up a few days ago, the film’s hero Sriimurali and director Dr Suri feel that a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. “It feels like a mission has been completed, just waiting for the final accomplishment, and working towards release,” says Suri, returning to the director’s chair after a hiatus since his last film, Lucky.

Bagheera is an important film for the team, as the story has been penned by KGF director, Prashanth Neel, with dialogue and screenplay by Dr Suri.

Produced by Vijay Kiragandur’s Hombale Films banner, the action suspense drama made in Kannada will also be released in multiple languages this year. Currently in the post-production stage, the makers are yet to lock the release date for Bagheera.

The film also stars Rukmini Vasanth in her first collaboration with Sriimurali, along with Achyuth Kumar, Rangayana Raghu, Prakash Raj, and others in key roles. The film has Ajaneesh Loknath’s music and AJ Shetty’s cinematography.

For Sriimurali, who will once again don the khaki in Bagheera, the shooting experience was a roller coaster ride, with numerous challenges and experiences. “I don’t remember the number of injuries I endured during the film’s shoot.

Equally the number of schedules, locations, and action sequences. Wrapping up, I felt like I am just out of a fantasy world,” Sriimurali recalls, undeterred by his injuries. “Despite delays caused by injuries, I was focused on the project,” he adds.

Reflecting on the intense shooting schedule, Sriimurali admitted to being hungover from Bagheera. “I lost track of time. Even after we wrapped shooting, I was thinking about the next day’s scenes until my wife reminded me it was over,” he chuckles. “I have dedicated two to three years to Bagheera and it is no joke. It consumed everything, but for good reason. The scale and planning have made it a massive project,” he says.

Looking ahead, Sriimurali plans to take a brief break before starting his next film, Parak, an action suspense thriller with director Halesh Kogudi. “I’m also finalising and streamlining other scripts,” he concludes.