Laughing Buddha is a film that director Bharat Raj was supposed to make for Rishab Shetty’s banner immediately after the latter’s Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shale. However, it did not happen at the time and the duo instead collaborated on Hero, a film with Rishab in the lead that they made amid pandemic restrictions.

When they eventually got around to starting Laughing Buddha, it was decided that Rishab’s good pal and long-time collaborator Pramod Shetty would not only star in it, but lead the narrative as well. According to Pramod, when he was told to lead the film, he wondered why the team chose him, and Rishab assured him that he was investing on the story and not on him.

Laughing Buddha was recently announced as a August 23 theatrical release, with KRG Studios handling its distribution. But when the banner pushed its production Powder ahead from August 15 to 23, it was mutually decided between both parties not to have a clash at the box office and allow each film its due at the box office. Had this not happened, Diganth Manchale would have had two releases on the same day – he is the lead in Powder and has a pivotal role in Laughing Buddha. As of now, Laughing Buddha has been pushed ahead to August 30.

The film, according to earlier reports, revolves around Pramod’s character Govardhan, a police constable, desperate to strike a work-life balance. What happens when a request for a day off to spend with family is denied is at the crux of the film, the team had said, but going by the teaser of the trailer that will be out on August 15, it seems that Diganth’s character will have a major impact on the direction of the narrative.

Laughing Buddha pairs Pramod with Gantumoote fame Teju Belawadi, and has Sunder Raj in a pivotal role. The film brings Mollywood composer Vishnu Vijay (Premalu fame) to Kannada cinema, while Chandrashekaran has handled the cinematography.

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