Forest (2025 film)

Forest is a 2025 Indian Kannada-language comedy thriller film directed and co-written by Chandra Mohan.^[1] It is produced by N. M. Kantharaj under his NMK Cinemas banner and features an ensemble cast of Chikkanna, Aniissh Tejeshwar, Gurunandan, Rangayana Raghu, Sooraj Pops, Sharanya Shetty and Archana Kottige.^[2]

Forest
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Chandra Mohan
Written by	Satya Shaurya Sagar
Screenplay by	Chandra Mohan Satya Shaurya Sagar
Story by	Chandra Mohan Satya Shaurya Sagar
Produced by	N M Kantharaj
Starring	Chikkanna Aniissh Tejeshwar Gurunandan Sharanya Shetty Archana Kottige Rangayana Raghu
Cinematography	V. Ravikumar
Edited by	Arjun Kittu
Music by	Songs: Dharma Vish Score: Anand Rajavikram
Production company	NMK Cinemas
Release date	24 January 2025 (2025-01-24)
Running time	145 minutes
Country	India
Language	Kannada

Principal photography commenced in April 2023 and continued till January 2025 where most of the film being shot in the forest regions of Madikere, Chikmagalur, MM Hills and few portions being canned in Bengaluru.^[3] The film's cinematography was handled by V. Ravikumar and edited by Arjun Kittu. The music is composed by Veer Samarth and Dharma Vish.^[4]

Forest was released on 24 January 2025.^[5]

Cast

• Chikkanna as Buddy Kumara^[6]
• Aniissh Tejeshwar as Sathisha
• Gurunandan as Sunil
• Rangayana Raghu as Maakalpatti Gopalswamy
• Archana Kottige as Meenakshi
• Sharanya Shetty as Sandhya
• Avinash as Mani, Meenakshi's grandfather
• Sooraj Pops
• Prakash Thuminad
• Deepak Rai Panaje

Production

Chandra Mohan, who previously directed Double Engine (2018) and Brahmachari (2019), announced his third film in April 2023. He roped in Chikkanna as one of the leads, with whom he worked in Double Engine previously. Rest of the cast was subsequently signed in. About 80% of the filming commenced in the forests of several districts in Karnataka.^[7]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack consists of songs composed by Dharma Vish to the lyrics by Chetan Kumar and Puneeth Arya.^[8]

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Odo Odo Odo"	Puneeth Arya	Kailash Kher, Harsha Uppar	2:22
2.	"Paisa Paisa"	Chetan Kumar	Chandan Shetty	3:28
Total length:				6:20

Reception

The Movie received mixed reviews from critics, with a blend of positive and negative feedback on its humor and supernatural elements. The Times of India’s Sridevi S. wrote, “Forest is a decent attempt at blending comedy and supernatural thrills, with Chikkanna and R. Raghu’s chemistry standing out, though the narrative could have been tighter for a more impactful experience.”^[9] A. Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express said, “Forest is a fun ride with comedy, thrills, and supernatural twists, keeping viewers hooked with lively characters, though parts feel predictable.”^[10] Y. Maheswara Reddy of Bangalore Mirror noted, “Set in a dense forest, Forest delivers solid entertainment with humor and supernatural vibes, making it enjoyable despite small flaws.”^[11] Shashiprasad S. M. of Times Now added, “Forest offers endless fun and laughs in a supernatural jungle setting, with strong performances making it a hit with audiences.”^[12] In contrast, India Today’s Sanjay Ponnappa was critical, stating, “Forest aims for laughs but ends up disappointing, with a weak script and poor execution overshadowing its supernatural premise.”^[13]