Mangaluru: “Why do you always toss a coin in God’s name?” — with this intriguing question, the trailer of actor-director Arjun Dev (Kapikad)’s upcoming film Toss introduces a story that blends family emotions, theatre, romance, humour and action.
The trailer of Toss was released by Golden Star Ganesh, with an interesting connection to the film’s presentation. Ganesh and his wife Shilpa Ganesh are presenting the movie under the banner of Golden Movies.
The film marks a major venture for Arjun Dev, who has already established himself in the Tulu film industry. Toss is scheduled to release simultaneously in Tulu and Kannada on September 18.
Mother-son bond and a unique love story
The trailer offers glimpses of several emotional and entertaining elements woven into the narrative. A mother-son relationship forms one of the central emotional threads, while the inner world of a theatre artist adds another layer to the story.
The film also follows the romance between a Mangaluru boy and a Malayali girl, bringing a cross-cultural love story into the narrative.
Alongside the emotional and romantic portions, the trailer introduces a formidable villain and several humorous situations, suggesting that Toss will move between different genres rather than remain confined to a single style.
The opening question about tossing a coin in God’s name immediately creates curiosity about the significance of the title and the choices faced by the characters.
Garuda Ram makes Tulu debut
Toss features a large ensemble cast, including artistes familiar to audiences across the Kannada and Tulu film industries.
Garuda Ram, known for his role in KGF, and Balaji Manohar are making their Tulu film debuts with Toss.
Newcomer Sutej Shetty plays the female lead opposite Arjun Dev.
The film also features several prominent names from the Tulu entertainment industry, including Dr Devadas Kapikad, Naveen D Padil, Krithi Shetty, Aravind Bolar, Pushparaj Bollur of Bava fame, Bhojaraj Vamanjur, Swaraj Shetty, Roshan Shetty, Shobharaj Pavoor and Chaitra Shetty, among others.
The combination of established Tulu artistes, Kannada film personalities and newcomers adds to the film’s appeal ahead of its release in both languages.
Devadas Kapikad writes story and screenplay
Toss is directed by Arjun Dev and produced by Sagar Poojary and Yogeesh.
Veteran writer and artiste Dr Devadas Kapikad has written the story, screenplay and dialogues for the film.
Shaneel Gautham, known for his work on Su From So, has served as the creative head, bringing another notable name from contemporary Kannada cinema into the project.
The film is expected to combine the distinct flavour of the coastal region with a broader commercial presentation suitable for audiences in both Tulu and Kannada.
Strong technical team
The technical crew includes several experienced professionals.
Manikanth Kadri has composed the music for the film, while Joel Sharman D’Souza has handled cinematography.
Yashwin K Shettigar is responsible for editing.
The combination of music, cinematography and editing is expected to play an important role in balancing the film’s emotional, romantic, comic and action-oriented sequences.
Simultaneous Tulu and Kannada release
One of the major highlights of Toss is its simultaneous release in Tulu and Kannada.
For Arjun Dev, the project represents an important step beyond his earlier work in the Tulu film industry. The bilingual release also provides the film an opportunity to reach audiences across coastal Karnataka as well as the wider Kannada-speaking market.
The trailer has generated interest by offering glimpses of the film’s varied characters and storylines without revealing the complete narrative.
With its combination of family emotions, theatre, romance, comedy and action, Toss is positioned as an entertainer aimed at a broad audience.
The film will arrive in theatres on September 18, marking another significant release for the Tulu film industry while simultaneously taking the story to Kannada audiences.