Veteran film publicist Sudheendra Venkatesh turns producer

Veteran Kannada film publicist Sudheendra Venkatesh, who has been associated with the Kannada film industry for nearly five decades through Sri Raghavendra Chithravani, has now taken on a new role as a film producer.

His latest venture is the short film “First Salary”, directed by his son Pavan Venkatesh. The film’s poster was released on the occasion of Deepavali.

Sri Raghavendra Chithravani, founded by D.V. Sudheendra, has played a vital role in bridging the gap between filmmakers, journalists, and the audience for over 50 years.

Apart from being one of the most respected publicists in the Kannada film industry, D.V. Sudheendra had also produced several notable films, including Olavina Udugore, Ganeshana Maduve, Gundana Maduve, Pattanakke Banda Putta, and Nagu Nagutha Nali.

Carrying forward this rich legacy, Sudheendra Venkatesh is producing “First Salary”, which carries the tagline “Kanasuregalu Haadi” (The Path of Dreams). The project is said to have the blessings of D.V. Sudheendra himself.

Director Pavan Venkatesh, who has previously helmed several short films including Karala Roga Naasha during the pandemic, is now directing First Salary — a short film centered around a touching mother–son sentiment. The film was shot over five days in Bengaluru and took about two to three months for completion, including post-production. The 24-minute film features one song and has been produced with a strong commercial appeal.

The short film stars senior actress Harini Srikanth in a lead role, along with Vijay Shivakumar, Yathiraj, Trishul, Sneha Shree, and Rakshith in pivotal roles. First Salary will be released soon on the Sri Raghavendra Chithravani YouTube channel.

The film’s technical crew includes Manoj Kumar H.N. and Ravi Sasanur (Direction Team), Richard Daniel (Cinematography and Editing), Vijay Haritsa (Music), and Vijay Shivakumar (Story). Mani has designed the promotional artwork. DS Sunil Sudheendra and D.G. Vasudev handled media relations, while Chandan Prasanna managed digital marketing.

Speaking about the film, director Pavan Venkatesh said, “After working on short films like Karona Karala Naasha, the documentary D.V. Sudheendra: Cini Payana, and the animation short Ramajanma Bhoomi, I wanted to create something that blends emotion with relatable storytelling. First Salary is a heartfelt story filled with sentiment, commercial appeal, and universal

emotion.”