Shivarajkumar opens up about comparisons with brother Puneeth Rajkumar; confirms Ghost sequel

With an extensive resume of over 120 films, Shivanna is undoubtedly one of the most prominent living superstars in Kannada cinema. Nevertheless, this doesn’t deter him from embracing unconventional film projects. He remarked, “I have to be open to doing off-beat movies as well. There are no songs in Ghost, nor does the movie have a female lead. The fact is, the plot doesn’t require these elements. When we forcefully put songs or extra characters, they affect the film’s pace.”

Referring to the film being inspired by a newspaper article he came across many years ago, Director Srinivas revealed that the entire movie unfolds within a 48-hour timeframe. Discussing the process of de-ageing Shivanna, he shared, “We roped in an Iranian company that had worked on RRR and Ponniyin Selvan-2. We sent them Shivanna’s old photographs, film posters, and videos, and they created his face using CGI.”

Watch Ghost trailer here:

Addressing the comparisons between his de-aged appearance and that of his late brother, superstar Puneeth Rajkumar, Shivanna said: “Since childhood, Appu (Puneeth Rajkumar) and I resembled each other. Our complexion, face, and hairstyle were similar. Once the film’s trailer was out, people in Karnataka weren’t surprised by the resemblance. However, non-Kannadigas, especially Tamil Nadu and Kerala fans, were shocked.”

Stating that the film features a variety of action sequences, Shivanna confirmed that a sequel to the movie is in the works. “We felt just one part would not do justice to the story,” he added.

Apart from Shivanna, Ghost also stars Malayalam actor Jayaram and Bollywood actors Anupam Kher and Prashant Narayanan in key roles. According to reports, director Srinivas will also reprise his character Mahesh Das from his 2019 crime thriller Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni in Ghost.