For Rishith Shetty, storytelling began long before cinema entered his life. “Even in school, while in 1st or 2nd standard, whatever happened in the house, I would write it as a story, and report it to my mother,,” he says. What began as simple narrations of daily life slowly turned into a lifelong instinct to observe, record and imagine.
In 2015 and 2016, when he decided to step into cinema as an actor, he began with serials. “I took to acting in serials, and assisted in a few,” he recalls. But somewhere along the way, a new thought shaped his direction. “I realised that if I want to tell a story to the audience, I must write the characters.” That realisation nudged him towards direction.
After assisting a few filmmakers, it was his friend Sudhi Aryan who narrated a premise set around Dasara. “He gave a line about this in and around Dasara, and we placed a love story as the backdrop, and that’s how Maarnami happened,” says Rishith.
The film is produced by Shilpa Nishanth under the banner Gunadya Productions, with music by Charan Raj and Shivasena, and editing by Pratheek Shetty.
Many stories emerge from the coastal belt, and Rishith himself belongs to that region. “It is easy to tell the audience a story about what I have seen and heard since childhood,” he explains. Since it was his first film, he wanted to present what he knew best. “I thought I should put forth my strong suit, and since my ADs are from Mangaluru, I thought it was best to start with Maarnami.”
For him, authenticity requires immersion. “If I have to tell a story of some roots, in case I have to tell a story of North Karnataka, I have at least travel there for a year to understand the culture before I pick a story of that place,” he says.
While hulivesha or tiger dance is common in coastal films, Maarnami explores a lesser-known cultural scale. “Dasara festivities, which are on the scale of Mysuru, will also take place in Mangaluru. However, it is limited to the coastal belt and its people, unlike the one in Mysuru where we see people from all cultures, including from other countries. The coastal Dasara festivities is known as Maarnami,” he explains.
Set against this vibrant backdrop is a love story based on true incidents. “There is suspense, and situations create tension,” he says. The story follows the character of Chetu through different stages of life. “It is about the life of Chetu, his life from childhood to adulthood, marriage, children, and this journey is filled with twists and turns.”
Rishith had known Ritvvik Mathad since their serial days, and the filmmaker felt the actor was best suited to be the face of Maarnami. “I knew Ritvvik’s capacity, as I worked with him in television. He liked the story, and we then worked on searching for the producer, and travelled six months before Nishanth came in.” While writing the final draft, he had Chaithra Achar in mind for the female lead. “The character has so many variations. I knew nobody other than Chaitra could pull off the role, and she was the only preference.”
Making Maarnami was challenging. “It was shot during the Dasara festivities in Mangaluru, and there is so much drama in festivals.” The team recreated three timelines of Dasara, starting from 1990 and moving ahead by 20 years twice. “We had our art director Varadaraj Kamath who designed this along with us.” With hardly 50 junior artists available locally and a need for more than 1200, they brought artistes from across Karnataka. “We gave them space and stage, and the vibe is colourful. It will look real.”
As the film approaches its February 20 release, Rishith feels content. Talking about today's Kannada cinema, he says, “We always talk about we know the audience pulse, but I believe we should first be the audience and like the cinema, and then we can ask people to like. We can’t satisfy all, but we must not stop trying to cater to them.”
For him, every step of cinema has been a victory. “First time when I tell a story is the first win of mine, and getting a producer is the second, completing the film is another win, and now coming to the theatres, I have won half.” He signs off with confidence. “Once audience come to theatre, they will like it, and will spread the word.”