Thanks to the fans, 7 Star Sultan, the fighter-cum-actor sheep, won’t be sacrificed this Bakrid

Fighter Sultan

7 Star Sultan in a still from ‘Tagaru Palya’. (Supplied)

7 Star Sultan has a huge following for its fighting and match-winning abilities.

Around two-and-half years ago, Younis Gaded, a resident of Sutagundar village in Bagalkot taluk in Karnataka, bought the sheep for ₹1,88,500 to sacrifice it on Bakrid someday.

However, before doing so, he trained 7 Star Sultan in fighting, The sheep eventually won several awards and recognition.

To date, the male sheep won prizes worth around ₹20 lakh that includes cash, silver, gold and two-wheelers.

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7 Star Sultan, the actor

A poster of ‘Tagaru Palya’. (Supplied)

“In our film Tagaru Playa, the sheep plays a crucial role. We had been looking out for a suitable sheep for some time before beginning the shoot. Male sheep are usually ferocious, especially the ones that are trained for fighting competitions,” Umesh K Krupa said.

Well, his search ended with 7 Star Sultan. The filmmaker noted that though 7 Star Sultan is a fighter sheep, it isn’t ferocious.

“It is well-mannered and disciplined. Shooting locations are usually crowded with crew roaming everywhere and the equipment placed in close vicinity. But 7 Star Sultan played his part perfectly without any difficulties,” he recalled.

Sacrifice on Bakrid

However, after the shooting ended, the film unit learnt that Younis Gaded decided to sacrifice 7 Star Sultan this Bakrid.

A still from ‘Tagaru Palya’. (Supplied)

“This is when we approached Younis and convinced him not to sacrifice the sheep. Not just us, 7 Star Sultan has a huge fan following. Once the news spread across social media, the fans requested Younis to rollback his decision. Eventually, he decided not to sacrifice the sheep,” Umesh K Krupa said.

Usually, when a film shooting involves animals, extra care is taken to meet the stricter conditions and parameters imposed by the Animal Welfare Board.

“We applied for shooting permission from the Board three months in advance. We even submitted our script and explained why we needed to rope in a sheep in the film. The only thing the Board makes sure of is how the animal is treated. It was treated with utmost care and there were no issues,” the director explained.

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An entertainer

Amritha Prem in ‘Tagaru Palya’. (Supplied)

Meanwhile, the shooting of Tagaru Palya has been wrapped up and the post-production is in full swing.

Its story revolves around the customs and traditions of villages in Mandya. The movie marks the debut of Kannada actor Nenapirali Prem’s daughter Amritha Prem as a female lead and yes, of course, 7 Star Sultan.

Tagaru Palya also features Nagabhushan, Thara, Sarath Lohitashwa, and Rangayana Raghu.

sIt is touted to be a comedy-drama and is made with the sole purpose to entertain.

Vasuki Vaibhav of Rama Rama Re (2016) fame is scoring the music. It is scheduled to hit the screens in the coming months.