Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana
| Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release date poster | |
| Directed by | Raj B. Shetty |
| Written by | Raj B. Shetty |
| Produced by | Ravi Rai Kalasa Vachan Shetty |
| Starring | Raj B. Shetty Rishab Shetty |
| Narrated by | Gopalkrishna Deshpande |
| Cinematography | Praveen Shriyan |
| Edited by | Praveen Shriyan |
| Music by | Midhun Mukundan |
Production companies | Lighter Buddha Films Coffee Gang Studios |
| Distributed by | KRG Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 151 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
| Budget | ₹1.80 crores [2][3] |
Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (transl. One mounts Garuda, One mounts Vrishabha) is a 2021 Indian Kannada-language neo-noir gangster film written and directed by actor-director Raj B. Shetty.[4][5][6] The film is produced by Ravi Rai Kalasa and Vachan Shetty, under the Lighter Buddha Films banner. The film features Raj B. Shetty[7] and Rishab Shetty in the lead roles.[8][9] The music was scored by Midhun Mukundan. Both editing and cinematography were done by Praveen Shriyan. It was presented by Rakshit Shetty's Paramvah Studios.[10][11][12]
Plot
Brahmaiah is a mild-mannered and upright police officer who is transferred to Mangaladevi, a coastal town in Mangalore plagued by gang violence. The local underworld is dominated by the formidable gangster duo, Hari and Shiva. While Hari is a local, Shiva's origins are a mystery; he was discovered at age twelve inside a bag dumped in a well, surviving with a slashed neck and severe scars. Adopted by Hari's mother, Shiva grew up as Hari’s fiercely loyal brother. Deeply traumatized by childhood abuse, Shiva suffers from severe anger issues and reacts violently to any threat against his loved ones, a trait Hari exploits to build an untouchable criminal empire. Over the years, Hari transitions into a suave, politically connected kingpin, while Shiva remains an unsophisticated, silent enforcer.
Their brotherhood begins to fracture when Hari aligns himself with a powerful senior gangster and businessman, Raviraj, to elevate his status. Feeling neglected and sidelined by Hari's new allegiance, Shiva begins acting out, instigating needless street fights. Viewing Shiva's unpredictable rage as a liability, Hari begins to distance himself from his brother. The rift deepens when Shiva violently attacks Raviraj’s brother-in-law over a minor dispute. In response, Hari alienates Shiva further, prompting Raviraj's faction to quietly plot Shiva's assassination. Meanwhile, Brahmaiah, who had initially wanted to flee the violent town, gains newfound resolve after being humiliated by a local MLA who demands the destruction of both Hari and Shiva.
Brahmaiah recruits a police driver to act as a double agent, feeding conflicting information to play the rival factions against one another. When Brahmaiah catches wind of Raviraj’s hit on Shiva, he maliciously leaks the information to Shiva's crew, claiming that Hari ordered the hit. Shiva is rescued by his friends at the last second, but the false revelation that his brother betrayed him leaves him devastated. Believing the lie, Shiva’s friends launch a retaliatory strike to assassinate Hari that same night. The attempt fails, and Hari kills one of the attackers. Under the impression that Shiva initiated the hit on him, an enraged Hari publicly vows to execute Shiva and parade his victory through the town.
Shiva retaliates against the syndicate by killing Raviraj's brother-in-law. Left with no choice, Hari allies fully with Raviraj and sends a hitman to execute Shiva, who is shot dead while playing cricket with local neighborhood boys. With his rival eliminated, Hari embarks on his celebratory victory lap through the town. However, his triumph is short-lived; the traumatized teenage boys who witnessed Shiva's murder stalk Hari and assassinate him using his own knife. In a surreal epilogue, the childhood spirits of Hari and Shiva are shown burying their adult bodies, reunited in death.
Cast
- Raj B. Shetty as Shiva
- Harshadeep as young Shiva
- Rishab Shetty as Hari
- Chinthan as young Hari
- Gopalkrishna Deshpande as S.I. Brahmaiyya
- Anil Uppala as Pili Prakasha
- V.J. Vineeth as Shreeshanth, Pili Prakasha's nephew.
- Jyothish Shetty as Raviraj
- Deepak Rai Paanaaje as Shekhara
- Shanil Guru as Karunakar, Police driver
- Prakash Thuminad as Ramanath
- J. P. Thuminad as Avinash
- Arpith Adyar as Avinash's friend
- Yathish Baikampady as Emmekere Dayananda
- Sachin Anchan
- Saumesh
- R.J. Arpith Indravadan
Symbolism
Garuda Gamana refers to Vishnu (or Hari) who travels on Garuda. Vrishaba Vahana refers to Shiva, who has Nandi as his Vahana. Thus the title refers to both Vishnu and Shiva, along with their mounts, while the narrator's character of Brahmaiyya represents Brahma of the divine Hindu Trinity.
Soundtrack
Midhun Mukundan composed the background score for the film and the soundtracks. The lyrics for the soundtracks "Chandrachooda" and "Sojugada Soojumallige" were adopted from Purandara Dasa's work and a popular folk song respectively - retaining the original titles. The album consists of 4 soundtracks.[13][14]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Demon In Me" | Manek D'Silva | Anjali Sankaran, Rakshita Rao | 2:19 |
| 2. | "Endo Bareda" | Pavan Bhat | Vasuki Vaibhav | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Sojugada Soojumallige" | Janapada | Chaithra J Achar, Midhun Mukundan | 2:47 |
| 4. | "Chandrachooda" | Purandara Dasa | Siddhartha Belmannu | 2:52 |
| Total length: | 11:53 | |||
Legacy
Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana was included in the FC Gold list of films by Film Companion, where it positively impacted Raj B. Shetty's career, as everyone praised his acting skills.[15] The film was released on ZEE5 and achieved more than 8 crore minutes of viewing within 3 days of its release on the OTT. It remained in the national top 10 movies for more than two weeks since its release on ZEE5.
The film also received praise from other prominent celebrities like Anurag Kashyap, Rana Daggubati, Ajay Rao, Nidhi Subbaiah, Ramya, Ram Gopal Varma, Sudeepa, Prashanth Neel and Shivarajkumar for the direction, story and technical aspects. Gautham Vasudev Menon bought the remake rights and planned to remake it in Tamil and Telugu.
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Feature Film | Lighter Buddha Films | Nominated | [16] |
| Best Director - Feature Film | Raj B. Shetty | Nominated | ||
| Best Writing - Feature Film | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor - Feature Film | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor - Feature Film | Rishab Shetty | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography - Feature Film | Praveen Shriyan | Nominated | ||
| Best Editing - Feature Film | Nominated | |||
| 10th South Indian International Movie Awards | SIIMA Award for Best Film – Kannada | Lighter Buddha Films | Won | [17] |
| Best Director | Raj B. Shetty | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Rishab Shetty | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Gopalkrishna Deshpande | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor in a Negative Role | Raj B. Shetty | Nominated | ||
| Best Music Director | Midhun Mukundan | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematographer | Praveen Shriyan | Nominated | ||
| Best Female Playback Singer | Chaithra J Achar - "Sojugada Soojumallige" | Won | ||
| 67th Filmfare Awards South | Best Film | Ravi Rai Kalasa, Vachan Shetty |
Nominated | [18] |
| Best Director | Raj B. Shetty | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Rishab Shetty | Nominated | |||
References
- ↑ "Trailer of Raj Shetty's Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana promises gripping crime drama". The News Minute. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ↑ https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/others/su-from-so-raj-b-shetty-sets-the-record-straight-on-the-budget-of-his-hit-film-ottplay-101754651750945.html
- ↑ https://www.cinemaexpress.com/kannada/news/2025/Aug/07/raj-b-shetty-clarifies-on-speculations-about-su-from-so-budget
- ↑ "The first look of Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana is out". The Times of India. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ↑ "Tiger dance plays important element in Raj B Shetty's Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana". The Indian Express. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ↑ "Director Raj B Shetty gives final touches to his gangster drama". The Indian Express. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ↑ "'Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana': Makers unveil a new motion poster of Raj B Shetty's next". The Times of India. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ↑ "Raj B Shetty and Rishab Shetty join hands for gangster film". Cinema Express. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ↑ "Raj B Shetty's film with Rishab Shetty gets title". The News Minute. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ↑ "rakshit shetty to present Raj B Shetty's directorial Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana". The Indian Express. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ↑ "Rakshit shetty to present Raj B Shetty's Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana". The Times of India. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
- ↑ "I don't want a direct OTT Release for Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana - Raj B Shetty". The New Indian Express. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ↑ "Sojugada Sooju Mallige (Sounds of Isha)". Sounds of Isha. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ↑ "Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Spotify. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ↑ Film Companion [@FilmCompanion] (23 November 2021). "A thrilling yet beautiful tale of friendship, ego, jealousy & ambition, #RajBShetty's 'Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana' has made it to our #FCGold list. Congratulations to the cast & crew of #GarudaGamanaVrishabhaVahana! https://t.co/VGl3rdLqtJ" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021 – via Twitter.
- ↑ "CCSSA Feature Film Nominations 2022".
- ↑ "SIIMA WINNER'S 2022".
- ↑ "67th Parle Filmfare Awards South 2022 with Kamar Film Factory". Filmfare. Retrieved 18 October 2022.