Seven years after directing the mythological horror thriller Damayanti (2019), filmmaker Navarasan is set to return to the director's chair. His next venture, produced by Prashanth G Rudrappa under the Trishul Entertainments banner (Dandupalya and Krishnam Prayana Sakhi), will be headlined by stars Aadi Saikumar. The film is a Kannada-Telugu bilingual, and will be released in a few other languages as well.
Navarasan reveals that the prolonged gap between his films was a conscious choice. "I didn't get a script that convinced me completely," the filmmaker explains, adding, "Post Damayanti, I made a firm decision that if I returned to direction, it had to be with a strong story and with the right backing. Otherwise, there was no point in rushing. It took a few years, but everything finally aligned."
The untitled divine mystery thriller is inspired by real-life incidents and is set against the backdrop of Chittoor along the Karnataka border. Explaining why he decided to cast Aadi in the lead, Navarasan says, "When you cast a very big star, audience expectations take a predictable route. Aadi is in a space where viewers are open to seeing him reinvent himself. Having acted in over 16 films, he has not explored this specific devotional mystery genre before. After watching his performance in Shambala, I felt his screen presence would fit this world perfectly."
The project also features a notable family reunion on screen. Veteran actor Sai Kumar and his brother P Ravi Shankar will share screen space with Aadi, marking the first time the trio will be seen together in a film.
On the technical front, composer B Ajaneesh Loknath is on board, and the cinematography is by AJ Shetty.
The makers plan to reveal the first look and title on October 20, ahead of commencing shooting towards the end of this year.