Pankaj Narayan, son of filmmaker S Narayan, is returning to films with Search, a suspense thriller directed by YB Ramesh Kote. The film’s muhurat ceremony was held at the Lakshmi Venkateshwara Swamy Temple in Muddinapalya, Nagarabhavi. The title was earlier launched by Ugram Murali.

Pankaj says the story was the primary reason he came on board. “It is the role of a unique person who takes up a challenging search with a single subject in mind,” he says. The actor, who is returning after a gap, adds that the role is unlike anything he has played earlier. He also credits Ramesh’s approach to working with actors for building expectations around the film.

Ramesh, who has been associated with the industry since Diggajaru, has worked as an associate director in both cinema and television. Search marks his directorial debut. The story unfolds over one night, with the makers planning to shoot across 25 nights.

The film was initially planned as a Hubballi-based story, with the team intending to shoot at Chennamma Circle in the Hubballi dialect. However, after finding that the location had changed considerably, the makers decided to recreate a circle as a set in Bengaluru and shift the setting to the city.

The story follows the search for a girl who goes missing in front of the protagonist. At the same time, there is another search for a software engineer’s luggage and laptop, with the two threads forming the film’s central mystery.

Dhamini, who hails from Kodagu, is paired opposite Pankaj. She is currently seen in Udaya TV’s Mangalya and is making her transition from television to films with Search.

Kruthika Gowda plays a prominent character around whom the other roles revolve. She says she first got to know Ramesh through one of his short films and is now happy to be part of his directorial debut. Search is her fifth film. Subhan plays another key role and is also co-producing the film.

Lyricist Dr V Nagendra Prasad gave the clap, while actor Srinagar Kitty switched on the camera. Kitty recalled S Narayan as his guru and wished Ramesh and the team well.

Yogesh N is producing the film, with journalist Saurabh Nagaraj supporting the project. Yogesh says the story reminded him of Malayalam cinema. Ashok K Raj is the cinematographer and Sri Anjan is composing the music. Shooting begins on September 15.