Dinakar Thoogudeepa is preparing for the release of his latest directorial venture, Royal, starring Viraat, set to hit theatres on January 24. This marks his return to directing after 2019’s Life Jothe Ond Selfie. However, had it not been for the untimely passing of Kannada cinema’s Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar in October 2021, Dinakar’s career could have taken a different turn. At the time of Puneeth’s tragic death, Dinakar had already spent a year and a half working on the script and pre-production of a film with the actor for Jayanna Films, which was meant to be Puneeth’s 32nd film.

When Dinakar Thoogudeepa announced that he was making a film with Viraat, many wondered if it was based on the script he had originally written for Puneeth Rajkumar. While that is not the case, Dinakar is determined to use the script in the future, as Puneeth was very excited about the project and how the filmmaker planned to present him in a true commercial film. Though Dinakar hasn’t decided who will star in the film yet, he mentions that when it does happen, it will likely be produced by Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar’s PRK Productions.

During the promotions of Royal, Dinakar shared how he had pitched a basic plot to Puneeth, which the Power Star loved and encouraged him to develop further. Puneeth had reviewed the final version of the script without requesting any changes, a sign, according to Dinakar, of how much he believed in the story’s potential. For this reason, Dinakar is eager for audiences to eventually see this film.

While Dinakar Thoogudeepa has not set a timeline for the Puneeth Rajkumar film, his next two directorials will be within his family. After Royal, Dinakar plans to launch his sister Divya’s son, Chandu, in his next project. This will likely be followed by a film featuring his brother, Challenging Star Darshan.

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