Ekka (film)

Ekka
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRohit Padaki
Written byRohit Padaki
Vikram Hathvar
Screenplay byRohit Padaki
Story byRohit Padaki
Vikram Hathvar
Produced byAshwini Puneeth Rajkumar
Jayanna- Bhogendra
Karthik Gowda
Yogi G Raj
StarringYuva Rajkumar
Sanjana Anand
Sampada Hulivana
Atul Kulkarni
CinematographySatya Hegde
Edited byDeepu S. Kumar
Music byCharan Raj
Production
companies
Release date
  • 18 July 2025 (2025-07-18)
Running time
148 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada
Box office₹22 crore [1][2]

Ekka (transl. Ace) is a 2025 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by Rohit Padaki[3] and produced jointly by PRK Productions in association with Jayanna Films and KRG Studios.[4] The film stars Yuva Rajkumar, Sanjana Anand and Sampada Hulivana, while Aditya, Atul Kulkarni, Shruti play supporting roles.[5] The music was composed by Charan Raj, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Satya Hegde and Deepu S. Kumar respectively.

Ekka was released on 18 July 2025 and registered biggest opening among Kannada films of the year.[6][7] The film mixed reviews from critics and was appreciated for Yuva Rajkumar's performance although the screenplay received criticism.

Premise

A rural thug from Parvathipura, Mutthu, gets entangled in a whirlwind of unanticipated challenges in the Bengaluru underworld when he sets out to seek vengeance on his friend, Ramesh, after he betrayed him.

Cast

Production

Pre-production

The production team PRK Productions, KRG Studios and Jayanna Films announced the title of Yuva Rajkumar's second film as Ekka on 1 November 2024 which also marked the Karnataka Rajyotsava day.[8] It was revealed that it would be directed by Rohit Padaki of Dayavittu Gamanisi and Rathnan Prapancha fame and music will be composed by Charan Raj. Bollywood actor Atul Kulkarni was confirmed to be a part of the cast during November end, marking his return to Kannada cinema after three years.[9] Actor Aditya was also reported to be part of the cast and he would play the role of a cop. A teaser of was released in April 2025, where the official cast and crew of the film was revealed. Yuva Rajkumar expressed that the looks in the teaser is inspired by Puneeth Rajkumar's look in Jackie, however there will be no other similarities.[10] Sampada and Sanjana Anand were reported to be part of the female lead cast, which was later confirmed by the team.[11]

Filming

The film went on floors on 28 November 2024.[12][13][14] Majority of the film was shot in and around Bengaluru with other places being Kashmir, Kolkata, Mumbai, and at a village near Mysore. The total shooting took about 85 days to complete.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack, composed by Charan Raj, teaming up for the first time with director Rohit Padaki. The second single "Bangle Bangari" released in June 2025 crossed 10 Million views in 22 days of its release.[15] Another single "Rowdy Rhymes" was released on 8 July 2025 which had lyrics emphasizing different shades and traits of a rowdy life in A to Z alphabetical order.[16] The audio rights were acquired by Anand Audio.

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Bangle Bangari"Nagarjun SharmaAnthony Daasan4:23
2."Rowdy Rhymes"Rohit Padaki, Nagarjun SharmaRohit Padaki, Charan Raj5:01
3."Ekka Maar"Nagarjun SharmaRohit Padaki, Charan Raj, Mahalingam V. M.5:03
Total length:14:36

Reception

Critical response

A. Sharadhaa of Cinema Express rated the film 3/5 stars and wrote, "Director Rohit Padaki presents a story that doesn’t shout but simmers, drawing you into a transformation that feels as painful as it is inevitable. [...] Ekka may not rewrite gangster cinema, but it reshuffles the deck with meaning."[17] India Today wrote "Ekka's first half is emotionally gripping and well-built further praising Director Rohit Padaki displays strong storytelling potential and actor Yuva Rajkumar shows marked improvement and leads strongly."[18]

Susmita Sameera of The Times of India rated the film 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "Despite a strong ensemble, the film’s writing doesn’t always do justice to its characters or storyline. While each twist and character shows potential, the narrative often leans on familiar patterns, offering little that feels fresh or new."[19] Swaroop Kodur of The News Minute wrote, "Despite its strong intent to tell an epic tale, the film leaves behind a murky picture that’s barely noticeable, and not enough to be remembered."[20]

Vivek M. V. of The Hindu wrote, "The screenplay keeps going around in circles, promising a surprise at every turn but settling for low-hanging fruit. Themes of betrayal, vengeance, and transformation are dealt with superficially, with the antagonists nowhere close to being convincing."[21] Sruthi Ganapathy Raman of The Hollywood Reporter India wrote, "Yuva Rajkumar’s film is a coming-of-age story of a gangster, which works when it's treated with emotion and not convention."[22] Pranati A. S. of Deccan Herald gave the film 2/5 stars and wrote, "Many elements can make one feel disconnected from the occurrences in the film. [...] By the end of the film, you’re no longer curious to know what happens to the hero. Just like him, you want to go back home, and get some sleep."[23]

References

  1. ^ Jul 23 2025, Mahmad Rafik Published; Ist, 09:37 Pm. "Ekka Box Office Collection: ನಿರ್ಮಾಪಕರ ಜೇಬು ತುಂಬಿಸ್ತಿದೆ ಬ್ಯಾಂಗಲ್ ಬಂಗಾರಿ; ಈವರೆಗಿನ ಕಲೆಕ್ಷನ್ ಎಷ್ಟು?". Asianet Suvarna News. Retrieved Aug 15, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "ബോക്സ് ഓഫീസില്‍ ഈ വര്‍ഷത്തെ ആദ്യ 10 കോടി; കന്നഡ സിനിമയ്ക്ക് ആശ്വാസമായി ആ ചിത്രം | Ekka Becomes First Kannada Movie Which Crossed 10 Crore In Box Office This Year | Asianet News Malayalam". www.asianetnews.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved Aug 15, 2025.
  3. ^ "Rohit Padaki to helm Yuva Rajkumar's second film". Cinema Express. 14 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Yuva Rajkumar's Second Film Titled 'Ekka' Unveiled On Kannada Rajyotsava". TimesnowNews.com. 2 Nov 2024.
  5. ^ "Sanjana Anand joins Yuva rajkumar in Ekka". The New Indian Express. 14 January 2025. Archived from the original on 20 February 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Ekka Box Office Collection Day 1: Registers Biggest Kannada Opening Of 2025, Earning 159% More Than Vaamana!". Koimoi.com. 19 July 2025.
  7. ^ "'Ekka' Box Office Collection Day 1: Yuva Rajkumar collects Rs 1.60 crore on opening day - read here". Times of India. 19 July 2025. Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  8. ^ "Yuva Rajkumar's second film titled "EKKA"". Cini Mirror. 1 November 2024. Archived from the original on 26 March 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Atul Kulkarni on board for Yuva Rajkumar-starrer 'Ekka'". The New Indian Express.com. 26 November 2024. Archived from the original on 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Yuva Rajkumar on Ekka: The look in the teaser is inspired by Jackie but there's no other connection". OTTPlay.com. 15 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Sanjana Anand joins Yuva rajkumar in Ekka". The New Indian Express.com. 14 January 2025. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  12. ^ "Ekka shoot begins". Bangalore Mirror. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  13. ^ "Sudeep starts shooting for his next multilingual film, Kichcha 46". Cinema Express. 31 July 2023. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Yuva Rajkumar's 'Ekka' begins, locks release date". The New Indian Express.com. 1 December 2024. Archived from the original on 8 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Yuva Rajkumar and Sanjana Anand's Ekka song 'Bangle Bangari' crosses 10 million views in just 22 days". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 July 2025. Retrieved 1 Jul 2025.
  16. ^ "Rowdy Rhymes from Ekka puts a playful spin on rowdy life". The New Indian Express. 8 July 2025.
  17. ^ Sharadhaa, A. (19 July 2025). "Ekka Movie Review: A gritty gamble where the cards are stained with dreams, dust, and destiny". Cinema Express.
  18. ^ "Ekka review: Yuva Rajkumar's film is an almost perfect Kannada actioner". India Today. 18 July 2025. Archived from the original on 2025-07-20. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  19. ^ "Ekka Movie Review: a familiar ride through the underworld". The Times of India. 19 July 2025.
  20. ^ Kodur, Swaroop (18 July 2025). "Ekka review: Yuva Rajkumar's lamb-to-lion journey falters in places". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  21. ^ M.V, Vivek (18 July 2025). "'Ekka' movie review: Yuva Rajkumar gives his all to a script that doesn't reward his effort". The Hindu.
  22. ^ "'Ekka' Movie Review: Yuva Rajkumar's Action-Drama Is Sustained by Some Fleeting Moments Of Freshness". The Hollywood Reporter India. 4 August 2025. Archived from the original on 26 July 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  23. ^ "Ekka Movie Review: Yuva Rajkumar Shines in Action, But Film Falls Flat". Deccan Herald. 18 July 2025. Archived from the original on 26 July 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
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