A spiritual follow-up to his own film Gultoo, Janardhan Chikkanna's upcoming feature Agnyathavasi is set in a fictional Malnad town in 1997—where silence reigns and a computer arrives for the first time. Produced by Hemanth M Rao under Dakshyani Talkies, the film stars Rangayana Raghu, Pavana Gowda, Ravi Shankar Gowda, and Siddu Moolimani. Ahead of the film’s release, we asked director Janardhan why he chose to set the film in 1997 and Malnad.
“It could’ve been set anywhere. The subject isn’t culturally rooted. But some elements suited that time and place,” he says. “I was actually planning a sequel to Gultoo, but it organically became Agnyathavasi. The arrival of a computer into a village—that shift in dynamics—made 1997 perfect.”
The film's plot is centred around a police station and a vicinity where no crime has been reported in 25 years. “That’s symbolic,” Janardhan says. “Rangayana Raghu plays an inspector, but he’s more of an agriculturist—grounded and silent, because he has little to do as a police officer. When a crime finally happens, it’s about how people respond to something they’ve forgotten how to face. His silence is the character’s strength. Rangayana Raghu doesn’t need to shout—his subtlety speaks volumes,” says Janardhan. The filmmaker adds, "I might sound intellectual if I say, 'Why I chose Rangayana Raghu (laughs). I simply love the actor in him—his unpredictability and restraint. When he slows down, he becomes a different performer.”
The rest of the cast are also used in fresh ways, says the filmmaker. “With someone like Ravi Shankar Gowda, I didn’t want to rely on humour or typecasting elements. There’s so much more they can bring if we don’t box them in.”
Janardhan also talks about what it is like to work with producer Hemanth M Rao.
“If I had narrated this to someone else, they might’ve asked for hooks or headlines. But Hemanth gives complete advantage to the story. That’s rare,” Janardhan says. Their creative bond dates back to the days of Gultoo, when he had consulted Hemanth. “As a director himself, Hemanth never interferes. He offers insight, not instruction. That’s the kind of producer every filmmaker dreams of.”
Any downside? Like how some thought Gultoo was Pawan Kumar’s film. “Sometimes, people assume Agnyathavasi is Hemanth M Rao's film. That shadow looms. But carving your identity takes time,” he signs off.