Raj B Shetty as investigative officer in Mahira

Raj B Shetty, who played a Kannada professor in Ondu Motteya Kathe will now don the role of an  investigative police officer in his next film, Mahira. The title derived from a Sankrit word, Mahira, meaning a strong woman, goes aptly with the theme of the film, says debutant director Mahesh Gowda. “We are not aiming at sending out any social message on women empowerment. It is a suspense-thriller, which revolves around a mother- daughter duo.

It is narrated in a fast-paced style akin to Bourne series. I call this parallel cinema which is content-driven,” says the first-time director.  While Raj B Shetty will be seen playing the role of an intelligent officer, Virginia Rodrigues and Chaithra Achar play the mother and daughter roles respectively. Virginia is a well-known theatre artiste and a student of MS Sathyu, who has staged plays in London.

“The peaceful life of the mother and daughter is disrupted by a sudden revelation. Faced with multiple threats, the mother goes to the farthest extent to protect her daughter,” he says.  

Today, the makers will put out the teaser of the film, ahead of which, Mahesh says, “I will take the audience through a whirlpool of twists and turns. The unpredictable storyline will keep viewers guessing about the next step.”

Made under Jackpot productions, the film is now in the post production stage. Mahira’s music is by Neelima Rao and Rakesh UP , and cinematography by Keertan Pujari.

Know the director

Mahesh Gowda, an engineer and MBA graduate studied filmmaking at the London Film Academy, after which he worked in a corporate job overseas for three years, before quitting to pursue his passion. “I was interested in martial arts and choreography. Art and entertainment brought me back to India in 2013,  when I started assisting Sunil Kumar Desai. I have known Raj B Shetty even before he started his film career,” he says.