Ghost (2023 film)

Last updated

Ghost
Ghost Kannada Film.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by M. G. Srinivas
Dialogues by
  • Prasanna V. M.
  • Maasti
Story byM. G. Srinivas
Produced bySandesh Nagaraj
Starring
CinematographyMahendra Simha
Edited byDeepu S. Kumar
Music by Arjun Janya
Production
company
Sandesh Productions
Release date
  • 19 October 2023 (2023-10-19)
Running time
132 minutes [1]
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada
Budget₹15 crore [2]
Box office24.3 crores [3] –₹30.28 crores [4]

Ghost is a 2023 Indian Kannada-language action heist thriller film directed by M. G. Srinivas and produced by Sandesh Nagaraj under Sandesh Production. [5] The film stars Shiva Rajkumar, Jayaram, Anupam Kher, Prashant Narayanan, Satya Prakash, and Archana Jois. It is the second installment of a cinematic universe following Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni in which M. G. Srinivas had appeared as Mahesh Das. [6] In the film, an anonymous gangster called "Big Daddy" hijacks a prison to steal hidden gold bars recovered during a CBI raid, but ACP Chengappa arrives to stop Big Daddy from executing his plans.

Contents

Ghost was released theatrically on 19 October 2023, during Dasara weekend, to positive reviews from critics and became a box office success. A sequel titled Ghost 2 is planned. [7]

Plot

An anonymous person and his gang hijack the central prison in Karnataka, where they capture prisoners, prison officials and Vaman Srinivasan, ex-CBI officer, and hold them as hostages. ACP Chengappa is assigned to solve the hostage issue. A cat-and-mouse game ensues between the anonymous person and Chengappa during which the person is revealed as Dalavayi Muddanna alias "Big Daddy", an infamous crime boss.

Chengappa learns that Dalavayi and his gang hijacked the prison to steal gold bars. It is revealed that Vaman had discovered the gold bars during a CBI raid and had hidden it in the prison, due to public attention of a controversial gold scam. Vaman and Thomas, the prison officer, decided to retrieve the gold by implementing privatisation of the prison in order to distract the public, but Prabhu, one of Vaman's officers, learnt about their plan and decide to expose their secrets. Vaman found out about Prabhu and killed him, making it look like a suicide. Vaman also killed Geetha, Prabhu's disabled wife, after she learnt about his plan.

Dalavayi and his team find the gold in the prison's newly constructed library. Vaman initiates his next plan of releasing dangerous prisoners to kill Dalavayi and his team. However, they are revealed to be Dalavayi's previous henchmen. Chengappa learns about Dalavayi and is later revealed that he and his officers had killed Dalavayi in a car accident previously. Chengappa suspects that the person who hijacked the prison as Dalavayi is an imposter. Chengappa confirms the same and reveals the information to the henchmen.

The henchmen attacks the imposter Dalavayi, but he manages to defeat them. The imposter Dalavayi initiates his escape plan by sending his henchmen to travel with the prisoners in the bus, while he transfers the real gold through remote control mini boats and keep the fake gold in the bus. He eventually escapes through a secret route, while Chengappa is unable to identify Dalavayi's henchmen. A few months later, Home Minister Vijayalakshmi assigns "Pithamaha", a spy agency headed by A. N. Rao, to solve the case due to pressure from the government.

It is later revealed that the imposter Dalavayi is actually Anand Rao, Rao's son and Prabhu's elder brother. Anand and Rao learnt about Vaman's plan and his involvement in Prabhu and Geetha's deaths, where they decided to clear Prabhu's name and expose Vaman. Anand decided to pose as Dalavayi by wearing a prosthetic mask and hijacked the prison. Anand finally exposes Vaman and gets him and Thomas arrested. While paying respects to Prabhu and Geetha, Anand gets a call from Dalavayi's son, who demands him to return the gold in exchange for rescuing his team members. Anand and Rao set out to confront Dalavayi's son.

Cast

Music

Ghost
Soundtrack album by
Released17 November 2023 (2023-11-17)
Recorded2022–2023
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Length11:36
Language Kannada
Label T-Series
Arjun Janya chronology
Raja Marthanda
(2024)
Ghost
(2024)
Upadhyaksha
(2024)
External audio
Nuvola apps arts.svg Ghost – Kannada Audio Jukebox on YouTube

The music of the film was composed by Arjun Janya. The film's songs referred to as OGMs (Original Gangster Music) garnered immense praise for their innovative approach with particular attention given to the first OGM. This distinctive composition seamlessly integrated lines from various languages into one song, earning resounding applause from audiences. The first single titled "OGM" was released on 22 September 2023. The Second OGM was released on 17 October 2023, while the third OGM was released on 1 November 2023.

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."OGM"MC Chetan, Rajesh, ChiranjeeviMC Chetan, Jithin Raaj, Aishwarya Rangarajan2:45
2."Fanthem"Prasanna VMAgastya Raag, Kalyan Manjunath, Yashraj Solomon, Karthik Sambhapur, Vinay KN, Sathwik Sathish2:35
3."Second OGM"Nishan RaiNishan Rai2:03
4."Third OGM"Nishan RaiNishan Rai2:02
5."He Is Ghost"Nishan RaiSathyam Keys2:10
Total length:11:36

Release

The first look was released on 12 July 2022, coinciding with the actor's birthday, while a motion poster was released on 2 January 2023. [8] [9] The trailer was released on 1 October 2023. The film was released on 19 October 2023, coinciding with Dasara. [10]

Home media

The satellite and digital rights were acquired by Zee Kannada and ZEE5. On the platform, the film was premiered on 17 November 2023. [11]

Reception

Ghost received positive reviews from critics. [12]

Critical response

A. Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express gave 4/5 stars and wrote "Ghost offers thrilling moments, with Shivarajkumar's exceptional performance, along with the rest of the cast, elevating the viewing experience." [13] Prathibha Joy of OTTplay gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Ghost is quite the thrilling two-hour ride and could just be the Dasara winner Kannada cinema has been looking for." [14]

S. Sridevi of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Ghost is a one-of-its-kind heist thriller for the Kannada audience, packed with plenty of mass scenes catered and assembled particularly for Shivarajkumar’s fans." [15] Anjali Belgaumkar of The Indian Express gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Directed by MG Srinivas, the Shivarajkumar movie will keep you on the edge of your seat." [16] Anindita Mukherjee of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "‘Ghost’ is a great watch for all those who love punches, fights and tough dialogues." [17]

Vivek M. V of The Hindu wrote "Ghost is a film that deserves appreciation for its attempt; not so much for its result." [18] Subha. J. Rao of Film Companion wrote "Director MG Srinivas needed to invest better in the writing and focus on the ‘show, don’t tell’ philosophy." [19]

Box office

Ghost achieved notable success at the box office by grossing 30.28 crore against a budget of 15 crore within a span of four weeks. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiva Rajkumar</span> Indian actor (born 1962)

Shiva Rajkumar is an Indian actor, film producer and television presenter who predominantly works in Kannada cinema. In a career spanning over three decades, he has worked in over 125 films in Kannada and has received several awards, including four Karnataka State Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South and six South Indian International Movie Awards.

<i>Anand</i> (1986 film) 1986 film by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao

Anand is a 1986 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. It stars Shiva Rajkumar and Sudha Rani with both making their debuts. The film went on to be a huge success running for 38 weeks.

<i>Manamecchida Hudugi</i> 1987 Indian film

Manamecchida Hudugi is a 1987 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by M. S. Rajashekar, starring Shiva Rajkumar, Sudha Rani and Sundar Krishna Urs. The film was produced by S. A. Chinne Gowda and S. A. Srinivas in the banner of Kathyayini Cine Art Combines. Chi. Udayashankar penned the dialogues and wrote the screenplay. The film was based on the novel Bete by Kum. Veerabhadrappa. It was a major success. The film was remade in Tamil as Annakili Sonna Kathai (1989) with Sudha Rani reprising her role.

<i>Ratha Sapthami</i> 1986 Indian film

Ratha Sapthami is a 1986 Indian Kannada-language romantic musical film directed by M. S. Rajashekar and produced by S. A. Govindaraj. It stars Shiva Rajkumar in his second venture after Anand. Debutant actress Asha Rani and playwright Parvathavani star. The musical score was composed by Upendra Kumar, while the lyrics, screenplay and dialogues were written by Chi. Udaya Shankar. P. Vasu was the co-screen play writer of this movie. The story is based on a Kannada novel of the same name by Vidyullatha Sasanoor. Ratha Sapthami opened on 12 December 1986 and was declared a musical blockbuster.

<i>Ranaranga</i> 1988 Indian Kannada-language action film

Ranaranga (transl. Battlefield) is a 1988 Indian Kannada-language action film directed by V. Somashekhar and written by N. T. Jayarama Reddy. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar, Sudharani and Tara. Produced by Shivarajkumar's mother, Parvathamma Rajkumar under the banner of Vaishnavi Movies, the film's musical score was by Hamsalekha making this his first collaboration with Shivarajkumar of the several future successful films.

<i>Inspector Vikram</i> (1989 film) 1989 film directed by Dinesh Baboo

Inspector Vikram is a 1989 Indian Kannada-language comedy thriller film directed and filmed by Dinesh Baboo, written by Chi. Udaya Shankar and produced by Raghavendra Rajkumar under the banner of Nikhileshwari Cine Combines.The film stars Shiva Rajkumar in the title role with Kavya, Chi Guru Dutt, Aparna and K. S. Ashwath in other supporting roles. It revolves around an undisciplined, but intelligent police inspector, Vikram. It is regarded as the first Kannada film of the comedy thriller genre and the first cop-comedy movie of Kannada cinema.

<i>Belli</i> (film) 2014 Indian film

Belli is a 2014 Indian Kannada action drama film written and directed by Mussanje Mahesh. It stars an ensemble cast featuring Shiva Rajkumar, Kriti Kharbanda, Vinod Prabhakar, Orata Prashanth, Shishya Deepak, Venkatesh Prasad, Sudha Rani, Aravinda Rao and Padma Vasanthi.

Ananda Jyothi is a 1993 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by Chi. Datta Raj and based on the novel Maangalya Maale by Kakolu Saroja Rao. The film starred Shiva Rajkumar and Sudharani. The film had a musical score by Vijay Anand and was jointly produced by Rockline Venkatesh and Chi Guru Dutt.

Savyasachi (transl. Ambidextrous) is a 1995 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by M. S. Rajashekar and adapted from a novel of same name by Vijay Sasanur. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar and Prema in her debut. The soundtrack and background score was composed by Sadhu Kokila.

Shiva Sainya is a 1996 Indian Kannada-language political action drama film directed by Shivamani and produced by Y. S. Ramesh. The film features Shiva Rajkumar in the lead role. H. G. Somashekar Rao, Arundathi Nag, Venki and Nivedita Jain appear in supporting roles. The plot follows a group of youths who are disgusted with corruption in the government that they helped form. They proceed to lead a movement and topple it, before forming their own political party and rising to power in an attempt to provide honest governance, led by Shiva, played by Shiva Rajkumar. The film is based on the life of Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiva Rajkumar filmography</span>

Shiva Rajkumar is an Indian actor who appears in Kannada films. He is the eldest son of actor Rajkumar. Shiva has acted in more than 125 films in lead roles.

<i>Mufti</i> (film) 2017 Indian Kannada-language action film

Mufti (transl. Undercover) is a 2017 Indian Kannada-language neo-noir action thriller film directed by Narthan, making his debut, and produced by Jayanna Combines. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar, Sriimurali, and Shanvi Srivastava in the lead roles, while Devaraj, Chaya Singh, Madhu Guruswamy, Vasishta N. Simha, and Babu Hirannaiah play supporting roles. The film tells the story of an undercover cop (Sriimurali) who tracks down and confronts a crime boss (ShivaRajkumar).

<i>Tagaru</i> 2018 Indian-Kannada language action film

Tagaru (transl. Ram) is a 2018 Indian Kannada-language action crime film directed by Duniya Soori and produced by K. P. Srikanth. The film features Shiva Rajkumar, Bhavana and Manvitha Kamath, Dhananjaya, Vasishta N. Simha and Devaraj, while Shivakumara Swami, Jayanth Kaikini and Charan Raj makes a guest appearance. The soundtrack and background score were composed by Charan Raj, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Mahendra Simha and Deepu. S. Kumar.

<i>Kavacha</i> 2019 film by G. V. R. Vasu

Kavacha (transl. Armour) is a 2019 Indian Kannada-language action thriller film written and directed by G. V. R. Vasu in his directorial debut. It is the remake of the 2016 Malayalam film Oppam, with changes made in the script to suit the interests of Kannada-speaking audiences - also being Shivarajkumar's first official remake in 14 years. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar, Kruthika Jayakumar, Isha Koppikar, Baby Meenakshi and Vasishta N. Simha. It was released worldwide on 5 April 2019 and got positive reviews from critics.

<i>Kotigobba 3</i> 2021 Indian Kannada-language film

Kotigobba 3 is a 2021 Indian Kannada-language masala film directed by Shiva Karthik and produced by Soorappa Babu under Rambabu Productions. The film, a sequel to Kotigobba 2, stars Sudeepa and P. Ravi Shankar reprising their roles, alongside Aftab Shivdasani, Madonna Sebastian, Nawab Shah, Shraddha Das, Abhirami, Tarak Ponnappa in prominent roles. The music was composed by Arjun Janya, while cinematography and editing were handled by Shekhar Chandra and Goran Ivanovic.

<i>Ayushman Bhava</i> (2019 film) 2019 Kannada language film by P Vasu

Ayushman Bhava is a 2019 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by B. S. Dwarakish and Yogish Dwarakish Bunggale, co-produced by Alankar Pandian. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar, Ananth Nag, Rachita Ram, and Prabhu along with Nidhi Subbaiah in a special appearance. The music was composed by Gurukiran. The cinematography and editing were handled by PKH Das and Gowtham Raju respectively.

<i>Vedha</i> (2022 film) 2022 Indian Kannada film

Vedha is a 2022 Indian Kannada-language action drama film written & directed by Harsha and produced by Geeta Shivarajkumar under Geeta Pictures in association with Zee Studios. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar in his 125th film, alongside Ganavi Laxman, Umashree, Aditi Sagar, Shwetha Chengappa and Kuri Prathap.

<i>Karataka Damanaka</i> 2024 Indian film

Karataka Damanaka is a 2024 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by Yogaraj Bhat, and produced by Rockline Venkatesh. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar, Prabhu Deva, Priya Anand and Nishvika Naidu in the lead roles. The title of the film is derived from the characters found in the "Mitra Bedha" book of Panchatantra.

<i>Bhairathi Ranagal</i> 2024 Indian film

Bhairathi Ranagal is a 2024 Indian Kannada-language neo-noir action thriller film directed by Narthan and produced by Geetha Shivarajkumar under Geetha Pictures. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar, alongside Rahul Bose, Rukmini Vasanth, Devaraj, Chaya Singh, Madhu Guruswamy, Shabeer Kallarakkal and Babu Hirannaiah. It is a prequel of the 2017 film Mufti. The music was composed by Ravi Basrur, while the cinematography and editing were composed by I. Naveen Kumar and Akash Hiremath.

45 is an upcoming Kannada-language drama film directed by Arjun Janya in his directorial debut and produced by Ramesh Reddy under Suraj Productions banner. It stars Shiva Rajkumar, Upendra, Jisshu Sengupta, Raj B. Shetty and Kaustubha Mani in lead roles.

References

  1. "Ghost (2023)". British Board of Film Classification .
  2. "Ghost 2023: Release date, trailer, plot, cast, budget, OTT partner and more". OTTPlay. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  3. nirmal. "'ജയിലര്‍' ശിവണ്ണയുടെ താരമൂല്യം ശരിക്കും ഉയര്‍ത്തിയോ? 'ഗോസ്റ്റ്' വിജയമോ? 17 ദിവസം കൊണ്ട് നേടിയത്". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Malayalam). Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 "'BOXOFFICE COLLECTION'". FILMIBEAT. 9 November 2023.
  5. Anandraj, Shilpa (15 November 2022). "MG Srinivas on Kannada film 'Ghost': It has nothing to do with the paranormal". The Hindu.
  6. "Filmmaker MG Srinivas teases Birbal-Ghost universe; writes 'Finally I am taking on a new case'". OTTplay.
  7. m. v, Vivek (29 December 2023). "Kannada cinema in 2023: 'Pan-India' mantra falls flat in a mixed-bag year". The Hindu.
  8. "Ghost first look: Sudeep calls Shivarajkumar 'king of all masses' as he goes pan-India with his next film". The New Indian Express. 12 July 2022.
  9. "'Ghost' Motion Poster: Shivarajkumar plays a gangster for posterity". Ragalahari. January 2023.
  10. Ghost | Big Daddy | Dr.Shivarajkumar | Sandesh N | Srini, 11 July 2023, retrieved 25 July 2023
  11. "Shiva Rajkumar's Ghost OTT Release Date Confirmed". Deccan Chronicle. 14 November 2023.
  12. "Ghost OTT Release: When and where to watch Shiva Rajkumar's heist action thriller". www.google.com. 16 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  13. "Ghost Movie Review: Shivarajkumar's electrifying performance holds the fort in Srini's multiverse". Cinema Express. 25 October 2023.
  14. "Ghost movie review: Shivarajkumar and MG Srinivas deliver on their promise of action heist thriller; it's fun, stylish and has substance too". OTTplay.
  15. "Ghost Review: Shivarajkumar's Ghost Is All Mass, Style And Substance". The Times of India.
  16. "Ghost movie review: Shivarajkumar excels in a gripping heist drama". The Indian Express. 19 October 2023.
  17. "Ghost' Movie Review: Shiva Rajkumar's film is all sass and mass". India Today. 19 October 2023.
  18. m. v, Vivek (19 October 2023). "'Ghost' movie review: Shivarajkumar shines in a potent yet complicated fanboy tribute". The Hindu.
  19. "Ghost Review: This Shiva Rajkumar Movie Just Isn't Spirited Enough". Film Companion. 19 October 2023.