Sukrutha Wagle, known for her roles in Jatta and Kiragoorina Gayyaligalu, likes to experiment with her roles. Now, post-Max, she gears up for the release of her upcoming venture—a darknet thriller Kapati, slated for release on March 7. Directed by software engineers-turned-filmmakers Ravikiran D and Chethan SP, Kapati also features Dev Devaiah and Sathvik Krishnan, and is backed by filmmaker Dayal Padmanabhan under the D Pictures banner.
Sukrutha, who has always been vocal about pushing boundaries in Kannada cinema, shares her thoughts on the industry's reluctance to embrace innovation. “The biggest hurdle we face when it comes to innovative scripts is the lack of support from production houses. That’s where the Kannada industry falls behind,” she explains. “Look at Malayalam cinema—they have always been open to experimenting across genres rather than banking solely on mainstream commercial films. Here, we tend to assume that what works in Telugu cinema will work for us. But the reality is, the cosmopolitan audience in Bengaluru enjoys diverse genres. We should be more open to innovation.”
She also points out another challenge—the limited presence of Kannada content on OTT platforms. “Unlike other industries, we don’t have a strong foothold in OTT. For many of us, the only way to experiment is through theatrical releases, and only then do we get an opportunity for streaming platforms. This is a tough situation—almost a doomsday scenario. Even our biggest films struggle with marketing. Equal budgets should be allocated to promotion because, at the end of the day, reaching the audience is what matters most.”
In Kapati, Sukrutha finds herself in an intense, single-location thriller centered around the darknet—a shadowy online world often linked to illicit activities. Working on a contained, high-stakes narrative like this was both exciting and demanding. “I find it easier and more thrilling to work on smaller projects than big-budget films,” she says. “We are always in a do-or-die situation—working with limited resources, time, and investment. That forces us to be efficient. Since Kapati unfolds within a single house with limited characters, it actually helped us maintain continuity and stay immersed in the story.”
One of the most unique aspects of Kapati is its directorial duo, Ravikiran and Chethan SP, both coming from an IT background. “It was fascinating to see how they balanced their strengths—one was excellent with shots and direction, while the other had a grip on dialogues and scripting. Since they are best friends, their collaboration was seamless. Normally, people wonder if having two directors leads to confusion, but in this case, it worked well, especially because our crew was small and didn’t have many assistant directors. They would swap responsibilities whenever needed.”
With Kapati, Sukrutha looks to challenge the 'safe-zone' defined by the industry and pushes for change. “We need to stop playing it safe. The audience is evolving, and it’s time our cinema does too.”