There are films that get delayed and lose their moment. Then there are films that bide time waiting for the right moment. Gramaayaana, directed by Devanuru Chandru, belongs to the latter. The project has taken years to reach the screen, but Vinay Rajkumar never walked away from it. "I heard the story a long time ago, but when I look at it today, it still feels relevant. At no point did Gramaayaana feel outdated. I always believed it was a story worth telling."

For Vinay, the film isn't driven by nostalgia. It is rooted in emotions that refuse to age. "It speaks about friendships, parents, love, relationships, and above all, a person's bond with his village. Anyone who has grown up in that atmosphere will relate to it. That's what keeps it fresh."

His character is named Sixth Sense Seena, but Vinay says what convinced him wasn't just the role, but the director's conviction. "Even before the film was officially on, Chandru had lived with the script. He went on recce trips, conducted extensive research, and worked with Gopal Krishna Deshpande during development. Everyone wanted the film to come out in the best possible way," says Vinay, adding, "We spent time in villages, met people, and listened to the real incidents Chandru had written into the screenplay. Those conversations became part of our workshops. Every actor and technician worked with extra love because everyone believed in the film."

Coming after Pepe, another rural drama, Gramaayaana could invite comparisons. Vinay, however, believes no two villages are alike.
"India is made up of villages, and every village has its own identity. Even within Karnataka, every place has its own culture, food, clothing, dialect, and micro-culture. You cannot treat every village as the same," says Vinay, sharing that the story emerged from Chandru's observations of his native Devanuru. "The nuances may change from village to village, but the emotions remain the same. There is friendship, romance, family, and even the village itself becomes a character. It is a commercial film told with an artistic sensibility."

Talking about his biggest lesson from the film, Vinay says, "Today, most young people move to cities. When you visit many villages, you mostly see older people. It made me wonder if, in another two generations, some villages might disappear." In fact, this concern has quietly shaped the film's social layer. "If villages can create employment and opportunities, people may choose to stay. That social responsibility exists in our film, even though it never preaches."

Spanning the years between 2007 and 2013, Vinay insists that Gramaayaana does not belong to just one protagonist and comprises various roles played by actors including Megha Shetty, Yogi, Gopal Krishna Deshpande, Achyuth Kumar, among others. "Gramaayaana is not just Sixth Sense Seena's story. It is the village's story," says Vinay, adding that the script also found admirers at home, including his father Raghavendra Rajkumar, and brother Yuva Rajkumar. "My father especially liked the script. My doddappa, Shivarajkumar, too, visited the sets and has been looking forward to the film's release."

Gramaayaana, backed by Naveen Manoharan under Lahari Films, is set to hit screens on July 3, and Vinay says the film reaffirmed what he enjoyed most about filmmaking. "Some stories don't survive because they are timely; they survive because the people they speak about continue to exist," signs off Vinay.