Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar has stepped into film production with her debut venture, Anna from Mexico, and officially launched the teaser at a private hotel in Bengaluru on Thursday. The film is being produced under the Aira Films banner, and the teaser release marked her first public appearance as a producer in Kannada cinema.
Speaking at the event, Hebbalkar said Kannada cinema has a rich legacy and that she has grown up watching Kannada films. She expressed her wish to make bigger and more impactful films in the future, especially projects with meaningful, social and family-oriented themes. She also said she would speak to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about censorship-related concerns, adding that she wants the Kannada film industry to grow even stronger.
Hebbalkar said the film has been made with the intention of contributing something fresh to Kannada cinema. Dhananjaya, who plays a key role in the film, said the project originated during the Hoysala shoot, when Hebbalkar suggested exploring a film concept, which later developed into Anna from Mexico through collaboration with her brother and co-producer Chennaraj B Hattiholi. He added that the team moved from a pure action idea to a family entertainer and chose director Shankar Guru for his balance of mass appeal and family-oriented storytelling.
The film stars Reeshma Nanaiah, Rangayana Raghu and Nagabhushan, with music by Vasuki Vaibhav, editing by Ajay and art direction by Guna. The teaser launch was attended by several guests, including MLC Channaraj Hattiholi, MLA Nayana Motamma, Dhananjaya, Shankar Guru, Satya Royal, Divya of Z Studios, Shyam of Anand Audio and others from the film team.