For debut director Vishwas Krishna, Yaava Mohana Murali Kareithu did not begin as a script, it began as a habit.
“I used to go to this park regularly. There was a doctor who would bring her daughter in a wheelchair, and they always had a dog with them. I kept noticing one thing. The dog wouldn’t run around or get distracted. It stayed close, always watching, like it had a responsibility. Even if nothing was happening, it wouldn’t leave her side. I didn’t immediately think I would make a film on it. But that stayed with me. After a point, I felt like I should not add too much to it. I just wrote what I saw.”
Before stepping into direction, Vishwas spent years working behind the scenes, assisting on projects like Dyavre, Diana House and Kadala Theerada Bhargava.
“I was learning on set, watching how directors handle situations and how scenes are built. But somewhere, I knew I had to tell my own story. I didn’t want to keep waiting. This film gave me that push.”
The film centres on a specially-abled girl and a dog, but Vishwas avoids calling it a “pet film.”
“They don’t meet in a big, planned way,” he says. “The dog just comes into her space, and it stays. Then it starts reacting to everything around her. If someone new comes, it notices. If something feels wrong, it steps in. Over time, it becomes part of the family. I didn’t want to make it dramatic. This is how it happens in real life.”
Even the title came from a feeling he could not ignore. “That line, Yaava Mohana Murali Kareyitu, has a certain sadness. I kept going back to it while writing. I didn’t sit and analyse it too much. It just felt right for the characters.”
Talking about how producer Sharanappa Gouramma came on board, the director says, “He told me he was doing this for his daughter, Kumari Prakruthi Sharan. After that, everything became simple. We were not trying to make something loud. We were just trying to get it right.”
The film also stars Madhav and Swapna Shettigar as her parents, with Patel Varun Raj as the antagonist.
The biggest test, however, came during the shoot. “We had two dogs, Rocky and Rana. While Rana had a few portions, Rocky was trained, and we had finished most of the film with him. Then, just before the climax, he died in an accident,” Vishwas says. “We had very little left to shoot, but we couldn’t replace him. Rana was still a puppy, so we stopped everything and waited. It took nearly eleven months for Rana to grow up and match the portions. There was no shortcut.”
Filming at Jog Falls during peak monsoon only added to the challenge. “With animals, you can’t control anything fully. Some days they give you everything in one take. Some days, nothing works. You just have to wait and adjust.”
Vishwas admits that films exploring the bond between humans and animals have been made before, and 777 Charlie was one such inspiration. Still, he keeps his expectations simple.
“This is my first film, which is set for a March 27 release. I didn’t want to overdo anything. If people sit through it and stay with it, that’s enough for me,” he signs off.