Raghu Shivamogga carries the quiet confidence of someone who has lived many lives inside cinema. He has acted in more than 35 films, directed Churi Katte and a segment in Pentagon, and trained a long list of young actors who still look at him as their teacher. However, he is breaking new ground with his upcoming film, The Task, which has him handling direction and acting at the same time. For him, that combination brought a new challenge and a new satisfaction.
Many aspiring actors in Kannada cinema meet him before they meet the camera. Teaching, he insists, remains close to his heart. “Teaching acting has always been a passion. Cinema is a passion that allows me to watch people and understand how they respond to life."
The Task, his third directorial venture, which is hitting screens on November 21, began with something deeply personal. “I wanted to raise a voice for a particular issue. I cannot reveal it now, but it has affected many and is relevant to today’s times. It is something that has already taken many lives. With my experience as a person, and a filmmaker, I realised that some issues demand a film because silence is no longer enough."
Raghu is clear that The Task is not designed as a solution. “I have asked the question. The audience will decide what they want to take with them.”
Despite the film growing from a real-life idea, Raghu believes cinema shouldn't act as a lecture to the audience. “Cinema is a medium to speak but also to entertain. My idea was to bring awareness without losing the thrill of watching a story. The Task is about realisation. If audiences can connect to plays or to beliefs like the Guliga avatara in Kantara, they will connect here too,” says a confident Raghu.
On casting newcomers in a story with such weight, Raghu is unfazed. “Every actor brings risk. What matters is how honestly they act. Newcomers watch more and learn faster because they do not come with any fixed aura.”
The film features Jaya Surya R Azaad and Sagar Ram in the lead, joined by Achyuth Kumar, Balaji Manohar, Gopal Krishna and Sangeetha Bhat in important roles. The cast also includes Aravind Kuplikar, BM Giriraj, Bharath, Sampath Mythriya, Harini Srikanth and Srilakshmi Bhat.
With cinematography by Pradeep Padma Kumar, editing by Prakash Karinja, and music by Judah Sandy, the film has action choreography by Arjun Raj.
On balancing intense action with a meaningful message, Raghu sums it up, and says, “Any subject reaches the audience only when it moves them. The action grows from the truth of the situation. The thrills are a part of the emotion.”