Why Sudeep waited for Yogi Babu on Mark
OB Bureau
The countdown is officially on. Director Vijay Kartikeyaa’s action entertainer Mark, led by Kichcha Sudeep, has cleared the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with a U/A certificate, setting the stage for a worldwide release on December 25. Christmas just got louder!
The announcement came straight from Sathya Jyothi Films, the reputed production house backing the project, which took to social media to drop the mic, “Certified. Charged. Ready. #MARK Kannada – Certified U/A. Releasing Worldwide on Dec 25th.” For fans tracking every move, it was the signal they were waiting for.
Interest in Mark has been simmering for months and for good reason. Kartikeyaa and Sudeep’s previous outing, Max, went on to become a superhit, cementing their director–star chemistry. With Mark, expectations are riding high, and the team isn’t shying away from the pressure.
Sudeep, who is clearly betting big on the film, has been vocal about the discipline and focus on set. At a media interaction organised by the Mark team, the actor made it clear that this wasn’t just another production; it was a collective mission.
“Mark was an idea that the director and I came up with. All these people; they made Mark. That is my experience. Everybody worked very hard. Nobody took any rest,” Sudeep said, underlining the intensity behind the camera as much as in front of it.
But no Sudeep interaction is complete without a touch of humour. Asked about working with a massive ensemble cast, the actor singled out Yogi Babu, delivering a crowd-pleasing anecdote. “The most busiest person on set was this person. This man has one leg in one set, another leg in another set, his hands in a third set…,” he said, pointing at the comedian.
Sudeep took the joke further, comparing Yogi Babu’s schedule to an EMI plan. “Yogi Babu sir comes in instalments. If you buy a vehicle, you only pay that money in instalments. Do you get the vehicle in instalments? This person comes in instalments,” he quipped, drawing laughs as he recalled night-long shoots being extended because Yogi had just arrived on set.
When asked if the entire unit, including him, waited for the comedian, Sudeep didn’t blink. “Why did we wait? That is because this man has that kind of talent. He is an asset. There was not a single miscommunication. Everybody woke up every morning with the same intention,” he said, adding that the shoot ran on rare harmony.
With certification sealed and release locked, Mark is primed to hit theatres with muscle, mood and momentum. For Sudeep fans, and for the Christmas box office, the mark has been made.
HL: 45 to hit Canada before K’taka
Strap: Three stars, one director debut & a film racing towards a Christmas release
OB Bureau
When Shivarajkumar, Upendra and Raj B Shetty share screen space, curiosity is guaranteed. And when the story dares to wander into the terrain of humans, demons and gods, expectations shoot through the roof. That, in a nutshell, is why 45 is shaping up as one of the most keenly watched Kannada releases of the season.
While India gears up for a December 25 theatrical release, Kannada cinema lovers in Canada are getting a head start. The film will open there on December 23, two days ahead of India, riding the Christmas holiday wave. Advance bookings in Canadian theatres have reportedly gone house-full, underlining the film’s growing global pull, especially in regions with a strong Indian diaspora.
Back home, the excitement is no less intense. This is not just another star vehicle; it’s a rare collision of three powerful performers with sharply different cinematic identities. Shivanna brings gravitas and devotion, Upendra supplies the philosophical edge, and Raj B Shetty grounds the story with the weight of the ordinary man. Together, they anchor a film that promises questions rather than easy answers.
The 2-minute-28-second trailer has only fuelled the intrigue. It opens on a stark, almost unsettling visual – a human life framed between a date of birth and a date of death. Upendra’s voice cuts through with a warning; every action has consequences. Raj B Shetty’s character appears as a man caught in the grind of existence, nudged and shaped by forces he barely understands. The mood is meditative, ominous and deliberately unsettling. And then comes the moment that sent social media into overdrive.
Near the end of the trailer, Shivarajkumar appears in a female Bharatanatyam dancer’s costume; a striking, arresting image that has sparked endless debate. At the trailer launch, Shivarajkumar revealed how deeply personal the role was. “I approached this character with fear and devotion. The same emotions I had during my first film returned here. 45 demanded complete surrender as an actor,” he said.
The Hindi version of the trailer crossed 10 million views in under 24 hours, signalling nationwide curiosity. Produced by Ramesh Reddy under Suraj Productions, 45 will release in Kannada on December 25, followed by a multi-language rollout on January 1.
HL: ‘I owe my Kannada to Appu’
OB Bureau
Some screen journeys begin with a role. Others begin with a person. For Priya Anand, Kannada came into her life through Puneeth Rajkumar and it stayed.
At the song launch of her upcoming Kannada film Balaramana Dinagalu, Priya made it clear that her connection with the language is deeply personal. “I learnt Kannada because of Puneeth,” she said, crediting the late superstar not just for her entry into Kannada cinema, but for shaping her comfort with the language and the culture.
Born in Tamil Nadu, Priya Anand entered films in 2009, starting out in Tamil cinema. Her Kannada debut came in 2017 with Puneeth Rajkumar’s blockbuster Rajakumara, a film that marked a turning point. Since then, she has steadily built her Kannada filmography, appearing in Ganesh-starrer Orange, James (2022), and last year’s Karataka Dhamanaka.
Speaking candidly at the event, and notably, in Kannada, Priya recalled how Puneeth nudged her to do more films in the language. “I am learnt Kannada for Appu. I met him in Australia during the shoot of Prince. He told me to do more Kannada films and speak more Kannada,” she said.
She also spoke warmly about how Puneeth introduced her to Karnataka beyond cinema, its people and its food, and how she practised the language on sets, even when she had no one to speak Kannada with at home. “Vinod and the others on set helped me. I kept trying,” she said, smiling.