RGV’s love for the underworld is widely known. The ace director has proven himself to be the go-to man for making underworld biopics. After cult classics such as Company, Satya, Raktha Charitra and Killing Veerapan, film lovers go into frenzy every time he announces a biopic. His next project titled “RAI” starring Vivek Oberoi of Company and Rakhtha Charitra fame is another such film. The film is based on Muthappa Rai, whom RGV himself calls the greatest of all gangsters. Read on to learn more about ‘APPA’, as he is fondly called by those close to him.
The viscous nature of Bangalore’s dreaded underworld is not very widely known, not unless you were a member of the underworld fraternity yourself. Bangalore’s underworld saw a tense tug-of-war between Kotwal Ramachandra and MP Jairaj throughout the 1970’s. These gangsters were highly feared at that time. Muthappa Rai rose to the limelight with his alleged participation in the killing of MP Jairaj. Muthappa Rai is also alleged to have been involved in the killing of Oil Kumar, another big name in the Bangalore underworld circuit. Rai ran his operations in Karnataka while sitting in Dubai. Rai allegedly had his hands deep in Real Estate mafia, Smuggling and many such dark activities.
In 2002, Rai was extradited from Dubai and arrested with assistance from Interpol. Post this Mr. Rai has had a change of heart. He openly came out in 2008 and announced that he was renouncing his ways. Rai currently is a social activist and entrepreneur. Apart from his real estate businesses he runs a non-profit NGO called “Jaya Karnataka”. This organisation has been fighting for the rights of the rural people of Karnataka ever since. Jaya Karnataka also hopes to lead from the front in fighting corruption in the state. Mr Rai is a huge fan of SS Rajamouli. It will be extremely interesting to see how RGV presents this towering personality on the silver screen. “RAI” is going to be shot in London, Dubai, Mumbai, Bangalore and Mangalore. The film is slated to be released in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi.
