Veera Chandrahasa (Kannada with English Subtitles)

Veera Chandrahasa at Victory Cinema Veera Chandrahasa arrives at Victory Cinema as an ambitious Kannada mythological drama that brings the grandeur, music and performance tradition of Yakshagana to the cinema screen. Directed and musically shaped by Ravi Basrur, the film stars Shithil Shetty as Chandrahasa alongside Nagashree G.S., Prasanna Shettigar Mandarti, Uday Kadabaal, Ravindra Devadiga and a vast ensemble of traditional performers. Shivarajkumar also makes a special appearance. Produced by N.S. Rajkumar through Omkar Movies in collaboration with Ravi Basrur Movies and supported for its Karnataka distribution by Hombale Films, the film was set for theatrical release on April 18, 2025. Shithil Shetty as Chandrahasa Shithil Shetty takes the title role of Chandrahasa, the legendary figure whose extraordinary journey forms the heart of the film. Ravi Basrur described the story as one of transformation, patience and perseverance, following a person who rises from extremely humble circumstances towards kingship. Set within the mythical kingdom of Kuntala, the narrative surrounds its hero with destiny, danger and forces determined to prevent his rise. Shithil Shetty underwent preparation that included horse riding as part of the production’s effort to convincingly inhabit this elaborate period world. His performance stands at the centre of a film where the hero’s journey unfolds through the heightened emotion, music and visual vocabulary of Yakshagana. The legend of Chandrahasa The story of Chandrahasa comes from a tradition familiar to generations through Kannada literature and Yakshagana prasangas. Veera Chandrahasa draws particularly from a performance tradition rooted in Jaimini Bharata, placing the hero within a world of royal intrigue, fate and moral conflict. The central drama involves Chandrahasa’s rise and the opposition of Dushtabuddhi, portrayed by Prasanna Shettigar Mandarti. Rather than presenting the tale as a conventional modern period film, Ravi Basrur approaches it through the rhythm, theatricality and cultural imagination of Yakshagana, allowing an old story to reach contemporary cinema audiences while retaining the spirit of the form that helped preserve it. Prasanna Shettigar as Dushtabuddhi Prasanna Shettigar Mandarti plays Dushtabuddhi, the principal force standing against Chandrahasa’s destiny. His character introduces political calculation and danger into a story otherwise deeply concerned with virtue, faith and perseverance. The conflict between Chandrahasa and Dushtabuddhi gives the film its dramatic tension, placing righteousness against manipulation and destiny against deliberate attempts to alter its course. As an experienced performer associated with the traditional world from which the film draws inspiration, Prasanna Shettigar contributes to Ravi Basrur’s larger effort to bring authentic Yakshagana talent into mainstream cinema rather than merely recreating the art form through performers unfamiliar with its distinctive style. Yakshagana comes to the big screen The defining identity of Veera Chandrahasa is its commitment to Yakshagana, the vibrant performance tradition deeply associated with coastal Karnataka. Ravi Basrur conceived the project as a way of presenting the majesty of the art form to audiences beyond the districts where it has traditionally flourished. More than 400 real Yakshagana artists participated in the film, with other pre-release accounts placing the overall ensemble at around 450 performers and associated artists. The production brings elaborate costumes, distinctive makeup, music, movement and theatrical expression into a cinematic setting, making the film as much a celebration of Karnataka’s cultural heritage as a mythological adventure. Ravi Basrur’s twelve-year passion project For Ravi Basrur, Veera Chandrahasa represents a project he carried with him for approximately twelve years before finally bringing it to the screen. Known widely for his music in major films including KGF and Salaar, Basrur approaches this production from a deeply personal connection to Yakshagana and the cultural environment of coastal Karnataka. He described the film as an offering to the art form that shaped his own musical sensibility. That personal investment gives Veera Chandrahasa a very different identity from a routine commercial assignment. It is conceived as an attempt to preserve, celebrate and introduce a traditional storytelling form through the scale and accessibility of contemporary cinema. Shivarajkumar in a special appearance Shivarajkumar adds another major attraction to Veera Chandrahasa through a special appearance connected with the film’s celebration of warriors and Kannada heritage. Pre-release material identified his role as Nadaprabhu Shiva Puttaswamy, adding a powerful star presence to the film’s already expansive ensemble. Ravi Basrur spoke with particular appreciation about the actor’s commitment to participating in a project so close to the filmmaker’s heart. The appearance gives audiences an opportunity to see Shivarajkumar within a visually distinctive cultural production while allowing the film to connect its traditional performance world with one of the most recognisable figures in contemporary Kannada cinema. Music built from the language of tradition Music is not simply background decoration in Veera Chandrahasa; it is one of the foundations upon which the entire cinematic experience is constructed. Ravi Basrur composed the film’s music while drawing extensively from the musical traditions associated with Yakshagana. He explained before release that the film employed 32 ragas, ranging across different emotional expressions, to create a musical language capable of supporting the story’s spiritual and dramatic journey. Writer Pramod Mogabetta contributed dozens of songs, while hundreds of musical passages were reportedly developed for the overall background score. This unusually music-intensive approach allows dialogue, rhythm, performance and dramatic action to work together as interconnected elements. Natural light and an elaborate visual world The visual design of Veera Chandrahasa was approached with the goal of preserving the atmosphere associated with traditional performance while expanding it for cinema. Ravi Basrur explained that the production avoided conventional artificial set lighting and relied heavily on natural sources to maintain an authentic aesthetic. Elaborate sets representing different periods and moods were created on open land near Hebbal, giving the filmmakers space to stage the story on a larger scale. Cinematography by Kiran Kumar R. therefore works within a production environment where light, costumes, makeup and performance must combine to create an immersive mythological world rather than simply reproduce a theatrical stage. A cultural experience beyond conventional cinema Veera Chandrahasa positions itself differently from a routine action, romance or commercial drama. Its ambition is to make a traditional Karnataka art form the primary language of a full cinematic production. The costumes are treated as meaningful elements of the tradition, the music draws from classical and folk structures, and experienced Yakshagana performers occupy the screen alongside film actors. Ravi Basrur described the project as an effort to show audiences that rooted stories need not be repackaged or separated from their cultural identity to become compelling cinema. For Bengaluru audiences interested in Karnataka’s folklore and performance traditions, the film promises an opportunity to experience Yakshagana through an unusually large theatrical canvas. An extraordinary ensemble of traditional artists One of the most remarkable aspects of Veera Chandrahasa is the scale of participation from people directly connected with Yakshagana. The ensemble includes performers such as Nagashree G.S., Prasanna Shettigar Mandarti, Uday Kadabaal, Ravindra Devadiga, Nagaraj Servegar, Gunashree M. Nayak, Shridhar Kasarkodu, Shwetha Arehole and Prajwal Kinnal, together with hundreds of traditional artists. Their involvement gives the film access to forms of expression, movement and performance developed through years of practice. Rather than treating Yakshagana simply as a visual theme, the production places practitioners of the art form directly before the camera, making their accumulated experience an essential part of the film itself. A journey of destiny and perseverance Beneath its elaborate costumes and music, Veera Chandrahasa is fundamentally built around the journey of a person rising above circumstances that appear determined to defeat him. Ravi Basrur described Chandrahasa’s transformation from a bhikshuka to a king as a story of patience and perseverance that personally resonated with him. That universal idea allows the ancient tale to speak to contemporary audiences even within its mythological setting. Chandrahasa’s journey becomes a test of character in which virtue and determination must survive political conspiracy, danger and uncertainty. The traditional story therefore provides both spectacle and a moral centre, giving the cinematic experience an emotional foundation beneath its cultural grandeur. Kannada with English subtitles Veera Chandrahasa was scheduled for theatrical release on April 18, 2025, with Hombale Films supporting its Karnataka distribution. Pre-release coverage placed the film at approximately two hours and thirty-six minutes and described it as a large-scale musical presentation of Yakshagana with hundreds of traditional performers. Victory Cinema presents Veera Chandrahasa in its original Kannada language with English subtitles, allowing audiences from across Bengaluru to follow the story while experiencing the original dialogue, music and performance traditions. For a film so deeply connected with the language and cultural rhythms of Karnataka, the subtitled presentation makes the experience accessible to a wider audience without changing its original identity. Watch Veera Chandrahasa at Victory Cinema Watch Veera Chandrahasa at Victory Cinema and experience Ravi Basrur’s ambitious attempt to bring the colour, rhythm and grandeur of Yakshagana to the cinema screen. Shithil Shetty leads the mythological journey of Chandrahasa alongside Nagashree G.S. and Prasanna Shettigar Mandarti, with Shivarajkumar appearing in a special role and hundreds of traditional Yakshagana artists contributing to the film’s distinctive cultural world. From elaborate costumes and classical ragas to royal intrigue and a timeless story of destiny, Veera Chandrahasa promises a theatrical experience deeply rooted in Karnataka’s heritage. Check showtimes, choose your preferred seats and book directly on victorycinema.in with no booking fees. Experience Veera Chandrahasa in Kannada with English subtitles at Victory Cinema Bengaluru.