Radheyaa (2025)

Interesting facts

Radheyaa is a 2025 Indian Kannada-language crime drama film written, directed and produced by Vedaguru under the banner Keerthi Chahna Cinema Karkhaane. The film stars Krishna Ajai Rao, Sonal Monteiro, and Dhanya Balakrishna in lead roles, with Aravind Rao and Girish Shivanna in supporting roles. The film was released theatrically on 21 November 2025 to mixed reviews from critics. While the music of the film was composed by Viyan S. A., the cinematography and editing was by Rammy and Suresh Armugam respectively.

Production

Director Vedaguru aimed to break away from conventional crime thrillers by focusing on psychological depth rather than sensationalism. The film was inspired by real-life criminal confessions and societal debates on capital punishment. Krishna Ajai Rao’s casting marked a significant shift from his romantic hero image to a grey-shaded, menacing character, which became a major talking point during production.

The film was shot across Bengaluru for urban sequences, Mandya and rural Karnataka for Radheyaa’s childhood flashbacks, and Hyderabad studios for controlled indoor scenes. Prison sequences were filmed in real correctional facilities in Karnataka for authenticity. Principal photography began in early 2024 and spanned about 90 days.

Promotions included a teaser and trailer highlighting the intense psychological drama. Also, there were social media campaigns emphasizing the tagline: "Confession is not redemption." The distribution of the film for entire Karnataka was held by NMK Cinemas.

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