The emergence of the pan-India concept has led to several films releasing under the same title, creating issues for original Kannada films. Filmmakers from other languages often release dubbed versions with identical titles, causing confusion and affecting Kannada productions that have already registered those names. Director Umesh Hebbala has made a film titled Vrishabha, a project he has worked on for the past two to three years. Umesh has acted as the lead and also produced the film on a large scale. The movie is currently in its final post-production stage and was being prepared for release when a Malayalam pan-India film titled Vrishabha, starring Mohanlal and directed by Nandakishore, was announced for release on November 6, including a Kannada version under the same name.
Speaking at a press conference, Umesh Hebbala said that Vrishabha was his long-time dream project. He stated that a year ago, he had written to Ekta Kapoor’s company seeking permission to use the title but did not receive any response later. Through producer K. Manju, Umesh contacted director Nandakishore, who reportedly said that their film would not be released in Kannada. Based on that assurance, Umesh went ahead with all preparations for release, but the issue arose unexpectedly later. He claimed that Ekta Kapoor’s company is now using the same title for their star-studded film releasing on November 6 and expressed concern that releasing his Kannada film afterward would lead to confusion among the audience.
Umesh mentioned that his team had registered the title Vrishabha with the Film Chamber and had also renewed it, while the other team had not registered the Kannada title. He added that the Film Chamber has taken up the matter and is trying to resolve it by contacting the concerned company. Speaking about his film, Umesh explained that Vrishabha tells the story of a farmer with a strong and determined personality. The film also addresses topics such as the preservation of Kannada-medium schools. He said the entire movie revolves around the title Vrishabha and expressed disappointment that Nandakishore is currently not reachable for clarification. Umesh further stated that the film aims to portray the strength of farmers, emphasizing that a farmer is not just someone who works in the fields but someone who stands up when provoked.
The film’s creative head is Raya Badiger, cinematography is handled by Prashanth Sagar, and music is composed by Pranav. The shooting took place over 46 days, including 38 days in and around Mandya and eight days in Bengaluru.