After seven years, filmmaker Prasanth Murali is back with his second film, Lalbagh, which has Mamta Mohandas playing the central character, in addition to Rahul Dev Shetty.
Prasanth tells us the film is a murder mystery, which has been shot entirely in Bengaluru.“It’s a female-oriented story told in a non-linear format,” says Prasanth, adding that the narrative often switches back and forth. “It revolves around a murder that occurs after a birthday party and the subsequent search for the killer. It’s also about how it affects the guests of the party, especially the protagonist’s reaction to the incident.”
When asked about the film’s USP, Prasanth says, “Well, that’s the suspense element itself, which we can’t reveal, obviously (laughs). We have tried something new with the film. We aimed for something more realistic and intense, built on strong emotional grounds. It should be a new experience for the audience.”
Prasanth also adds that the film will portray Bengaluru in a way that has not been done before. “We have tried to incorporate in the film more aspects of the Bengaluru life—the people, their inner conflicts, their relationships, the city culture, and so on—and avoided the usual cliches associated with Bengaluru and the films shot there. We went beyond the imagery of the polished lifestyle normally seen in Bengaluru-based films.”
Lalbagh also stars Sijoy Varghese, Rahul Madhav, Rahul Raj, Neha Saxena, and Nandini Rai. An ad filmmaker based in Kerala, Prasanth was formerly an assistant of director VK Prakash before he made his directorial debut in 2013 with Paisa Paisa starring Indrajith and Mamta Mohandas. Prakash has played a part in Lalbagh.