Veteran actor Rangayana Raghu is fronting director Nagaraj Somayaji’s second feature, Devi Mahatme, which is officially locked for a theatrical release on December 4. The release date was revealed alongside a new poster featuring an invitation note directly from the actor. Somayaji, who made his debut with the urban-centric Maryade Prashne, shifts focus back to his home turf in coastal Karnataka, having shot the film extensively across Kundapura and surrounding areas.
While the title might suggest a mythological or devotional film, the director clarifies that it is very much an earthbound social drama wrapped in a comedy-thriller format. “When people first hear the title, they assume it’s a devotional subject,” Somayaji shares. “In coastal Karnataka, particularly in our hometown Kundapura, Devi Mahatme is a celebrated Yakshagana prasanga and bayalaata. Our narrative shares a direct link with that performance tradition, and bits of it are incorporated into the film. As the story unfolds, the audience will see exactly why it is named this way.”
Speaking about casting Rangayana Raghu in the central role, Somayaji notes that viewers will see a measured performance from the veteran actor. “There is no loud melodrama or shouting. It is an extremely subtle, layered turn where he plays a father navigating human connection and empathy in every frame,” the filmmaker explains.
The project leans heavily on an ensemble of experienced theatre actors, including Pallavi Manjunath, Prathima Nayak, Arvind Kuplikar, Veena Sundar, Nagendra Shah, Prashanth Hiremath, PD Sathish, Basuma Kodagu, Raghu Pandeshwar, Shwetha Srinivas, Mohan Shenoy, and Asif Kshatriya.
Written by Nagaraj Somayaji along with Arvind Kuplikar, Bhaskar Bangera, and Guru Arya, the film avoids regular narrative structures, approaching even flashback sequences through an unconventional lens. Produced by Vidhya Gandhirajan under the UVG Studios banner, Devi Mahatme is presented and distributed across Karnataka by Janani Pictures, with Hombale Music holding the audio rights. The technical crew features cinematographer SK Rao, music composer Likith Prasad Shetty, and editor Ujjwal Chandra.