The 2006 Kannada film Matha directed by Guru Prasad and starring Jaggesh has become a cult classic.
The film had Jaggesh as Venkatesha, Tabla Nani as Venugopala Sudheendra as Chintamani, Shashidhar Bhat as Shashidhar Bhat, Asif Farooqi as Pasha Mandya Ramesh as Mandya Nagesh, Vaijanath Biradar as Kosta trying to become the head of a mutt. Even director Guruprasad played a cameo.
The new film Matha is directed by Ravindra Venshi and has recast many of the actors from the original film and a few new ones. Sadhu Kokila plays the role of “Bidadi Satyannada.” Nithyananda had his ashram in Bidadi.
According to sources, Guruprasad himself is playing the lead role in the film and reprising a role similar to that which Jaggesh played in the original. Guruprasad and Jaggesh had fallen off after Eddelu Manjunatha but have once again come together for Ranganayaka recently. Matha remains their original and biggest film together.
If Guruprasad is playing a similar role it would be interesting to know it would parody the original role or compliment it. Guruprasad is known for his sarcastic and no-holds-barred lampooning.
Will this go well with Jaggesh and Guruprasad’s own original film? The new Matha has therefore brought forth more questions than it answers.
