On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, the teaser of ‘Daiva’—directed and acted by MJ (Manjunath Jayaraj), who was originally a teacher was released at a crowded gathering at MMB Legacy at GT World Mall.
Produced under the banner of Kalpavruksha Creations by Smt. Jayamma Padmaraj, co-produced by Ramappa Somappa Megalamani and Somashekar G. Pattanashetty, the film features MJ both as lead actor and director.
The teaser launch took place with the presence of noted Kannada directors Guru Deshpande, Hari Santhosh, Bharjari Chetan Kumar, Jadesh K. Hampi, and Directors’ Association president N. R. K. Vishwanath, who unveiled the teaser and extended their best wishes for the success of the film.
MJ, who completed his M.Tech and worked as an Assistant Professor in an engineering college, called it a special moment that the teaser of his directorial and acting debut was released on Teachers’ Day.
“This is a truly desi storyline. In Daiva, I play the role of Jogayya, a devotee of Kalabhairava, appearing in two get-ups. But Daiva is not a mythological film—the title might suggest so. It’s a full-fledged commercial movie with all the elements audiences look for. Filming has already been completed, and now the movie is being enhanced through re-recording. The first copy will be ready soon. The film is produced by my mother, Jayamma Padmaraj. The cast includes Surabhi, Neethu Roy, Bala Rajwadi, Manjuraj Surya, Arun Bachchan, and others. Today, on Teachers’ Day, five popular Kannada directors—who are like gurus to us—have released our teaser. I extend my gratitude to them, as well as to my mentor in cinema, Ravi Srivatsa.”
Actor and journalist Manjuraj Surya (V.C.N. Manju) said in this film, I play a role where I help village children get an education through an NGO. I hope audiences will support ‘Daiva’ he stated.
Producer Jayamma Padmaraj expressed my son is stepping into cinema as both lead actor and director with this film. I seek everyone to bless him.
Actress Neethu Roy mentioned my role in this film is very good. Other team members, including Arun Bachchan, Meese Murthy, music director Vijeeth Manjaya, and cinematographer Siddharth, also spoke about ‘Daiva’ during the event.