Happy Birthday To Me, the directorial debut of Rakesh Kadri, has one thing in common with more recent Chef Chidambara. Both films are about disposals of dead bodies and the timing of the release of these movies could not have come at a more opportune moment. These dark comedies, one of which is already in theatres and the other set to meet audiences in a week’s time, are here at a time when the big news in Sandalwood is the arrest of actor Darshan and the disposal of a body.

Happy Birthday To Me is a comedy about a party and a dead body 

Like Chef Chidambara, Happy Birthday to Me has no other similarity, to the ongoing case. In fact, the trailer that came out today provides more information about how Chaithra J Achar’s Adithi ends up dead and stuffed in a red suitcase, after coming to celebrate her ‘pal’ Puneeth’s (Siddhartha Maadhyamika) birthday. Siddu Moolimani plays Siddhartha’s roommate, and the duo then have to find a way, by hook or by crook, to get rid of Adithi’s mortal remains without being caught by the apartment security or their pals dropping by to wish Puneeth.

Rakesh admits that the plot of his film may seem familiar – a dead body that needs to be removed from a premise without causing suspicion. It’s how he has treated it that will be novel and provide the laughs, he says. The filmmaker adds that Happy Birthday to Me is not a family watch, owing to sequences of recreational drug use and light profanity, all of which he retained in his final cut to give it a direct OTT release.

Happy Birthday To Me also stars Gopalkrishna Deshpande, Natya Ranga, Archana Kottige and Rachana Rai. It has been produced by Shoolin Fims, the makers of hit Tulu movies like Girgit, Circus and Gamjaal. They are foraying into Kannada cinema with this ‘trippy’ film about a birthday party gone wrong and a dead body to reckon with.

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