He doesn’t mince words while talking about cinema as that’s his passion and in many ways, his raison d’etre. Writing, directing and producing films since 2016, Kannada filmmaker Hemanth Rao has won numerous accolades for his work, starting with his first film, Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu. His last directorial in 2023 Sapta Saagaradaache Ello – Side A and Side B saw him awards as well and now he is back with a production titled Agnyathavasi. (Also read: Director Hemanth Rao calls IIFA ‘disrespectful’, launches scathing attack on opaque process: ‘I don’t need your award’)
On Agnyathavasi
Agnyathavasi, which releases on April 11, stars Rangayana Raghu, Sharath Lohitashwa, and Siddu Moolimani, among others. Its technical team includes DOP Advaitha Gurumurthy, editor Bharath Chandrashekar, and music composer Charan Raj.
Speaking to Hindustan Times about Agnyathavasi, produced under his new banner Dakshayani Talkies, Hemanth Rao explains, “My mother passed away in 2024 due to cancer, and to honour her, I set up Dakshayani Talkies in her name. She was the one who introduced me to books, and for me, good storytelling comes above all. Agnyathavasi is directed by Janaradhan Chikkana, and I really liked the script. It’s a murder mystery, and I think it’s a story that will resonate with the audiences.”
Malayalam cinema has churned out some excellent thrillers and cop stories which have found pan-Indian appeal, so does he hope that Agnyathavasi will do the same for Kannada cinema? “I definitely hope so. It would be good if it crosses borders and resonates with audiences everywhere. It’s up to the people to take this forward,” he says.
More than 70 Kannada films have been released in 2025, and most of them have failed miserably at the box office. While Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema have found a footing across India and have been delivering hits, Kannada cinema seems to be still floundering. “Yes, I agree. But I don’t want to complain about this – I’d rather see this as an opportunity to make a difference and break this landscape with different kinds of cinema. Agnyathavasi is part of that attempt. Most of the audience comes to theatres to watch tentpole films, but good storytelling can also bring the Kannada audience to theatres. And I want to focus on good storytelling across genres to bring the audience to theatres,” he quickly asserts.
Does he think stars are important for a movie to do well today at the box office? “Unlike before, the audience is becoming choosy – just on star value alone, a movie will do well in the first two days, but marrying it along with good content – which is like bringing two powerhouses together – is the key to ensuring it does well at the box office,” explains Hemanth.
Are movie theatres dead?
One of the interesting statements made recently about theatres was by Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who said that movie theatres are never coming back after the Covid era. As a filmmaker, would he agree? Hemanth Rao smiles and states, “This is like a salesman who sells bottled water to people by telling them that the river is poisoned. I think this statement best sums it up. Cinema is not going to die – at least for another 100 years. The experience of watching a movie as a community in theatres is something unparalleled and can’t be replaced by OTT. Watching a movie on the big screen is a visual experience that can’t be replicated elsewhere.”
Hemanth Rao was all set to do a movie this year with Kannada star Shiva Rajkumar titled Bhairavana Kone Paata, but the actor’s health issue has put this movie on hold for now. “I think it’s only fair that we give him time to recoup and come back fully fit to work on the film. So, in the meantime, I am working on another script and the official announcement is likely to be made by the end of April about this project,” signs off the director.