Hemanth M Rao on 'Agnyathavasi', Launching Dakshayani Talkies and Navigating New Cultures as a Film Producer

Hemanth M Rao has produced films in the past, but something feels different with his latest venture, Agnyathavasi.

It could be that it comes under his new banner Dakshayani Talkies (named after his mother), or that it brings together hometown talents—from the ensemble cast, writer, and director to the technicians—striving to achieve something special.

Either way, Agnyathavasi emerges from a place of originality the Kannada film industry seems in dire need of. We catch up with Hemanth M Rao to discuss the film, his role as a producer, and more.

Edited excerpts from a conversation:

Dakshayani Talkies, as one senses it, feels like an important checkpoint in your life as a filmmaker or producer. How is the ethos of this production enterprise different from that of Lost and Found Films, your former venture?

Fundamentally, I want to be in the pursuit of storytelling and tell stories of all kinds, small and big. If there’s a good story out there, we (Dakshayani Talkies) want to mount and lend a platform to it because storytelling is an important art form. Cinema also has economics attached to it, so it’s important to strike a balance between art and commerce—films often outlive their box-office performance, so we want to tell stories that help us sustain financially but also create a long-lasting impact.

Your latest production, Agnyathavasi, is a crime-mystery and the genre has been a staple presence for as long as one can remember. What attracted you the most about the film, and how is it different from everything that’s around?

The film’s director Janardhan Chikkanna recently articulated very well that it’s easy to sell a crime-thriller to an actor or a producer because the buy-in is instant. There’s a murder and a killer, and curiosity builds instantly—as opposed to a drama, where a moment between two lovers requires context through performance, music, and so on. That’s why so many thrillers are made around the world.

The hard bit is to make a thriller that delivers on its promise and stands out. For me, the screenplay of Agnyathavasi was the clincher because of how the information is unravelled. Thrillers often deal with crime and its resolution, but not all capture the human angle or its poetic intricacies. I could see those in this film—it had a fresh perspective.

Being a film director first, what is it that you spot in another director while operating as a producer?

In the case of Jana (Janardhan Chikkanna), it’s been a beautiful journey because we get along creatively while respecting each other’s boundaries. The connection was very instinctive. Jana has a curious mind with a unique, interesting understanding of society, and that’s the most important factor for me to connect with someone. It helps that he’s also a great human being.

How do you creatively participate as a producer? Is there a bit of hand-holding? Or do you just let the team be after a point?

There was very little hand-holding here because I was working with thorough professionals. I did weigh in during the scripting stage, but only on the narrative quality—not on “Will the audience like this?” I’ve never worked that way—trying to guess what the audience wants is a slippery slope.

To put it simply, I try to be the kind of producer I’d want to work with while I’m directing—a collaborator who doesn’t take over but supports the director’s vision. I’m always around to offer feedback at every stage—from scripting to the final cut.

None of your films so far have the personality of an “event film,” but you’ve managed to elevate them—either with your craft or through collaborators. How did you approach Agnyathavasi in that sense?

It’s just about making the process of putting together a film fun. We’re doing this because we love the job, we love cinema. So when you work on optimising the process—ensuring the actors, cinematographer, music composer, etc., are all doing their best—and not the end result, the outcome is usually positive. And I can only do what I’m good at—I don’t have the wherewithal to mould or “position” a film a certain way.

I know this is a beaten-to-death question: But how does one bring back audiences to theatres, especially in Kannada cinema?

I feel audiences are looking for an authentic experience today more than ever. When a film is sold as a product versus offering an experience, I’d much rather go with the latter. In the former case, I might think twice because it feels positioned as a commodity.

But when a film promises something original—be it Prashanth Neel’s KGF movies or the arthouse kind—the motivation to watch it is much stronger.