Arvind Kamath: Arishadvarga explores the six desires of a human mind

Making Arishadvarga was an organic process, says director Arvind Kamath, about his film which is set to hit theatres on November 27. “The film is about real people stuck in a situation following a murder and their interpersonal relationships during the investigation. Arishadvarga is nothing but six desires of the human mind,” he reveals. The story is inspired by many of the director's real-life experiences. “This is essentially a human drama packaged as a murder mystery.”

Arvind Kamath always wanted to get into filmmaking though he took up engineering and worked in the IT sector for about nine years. But, ever since he forayed into cinema in 2010, there's been no turning back for him. “I made an independent film named Innuendo, which was screened at many film festivals. Then, I started working in an ad agency and later as a consultant for film festivals. All the while, I was simultaneously working on Arishadvarga,” he says.

“People who trusted me invested in the film and gave me all the freedom, and I did not rush it.” He took a year just for the post-production process. “The movie was ready in 2019, and we took it to various festivals. Just when we were planning to release it, the pandemic happened,” he adds.

Arishadvarga, starring Samyukta Hornad, Avinash, Nanda Gopal, and Mahesh Bung, has done the rounds of festivals in London, Singapore, and Vancouver. “Since it is a mainstream film, we didn't take a lot of efforts to send it to festivals, but things just sort of fell in place. Festival screenings help you interact with the audience and you get to know whether you have met their expectations. It also provides visibility to the movie,” says Arvind

The makers are planning to release the film in 50 theatres and have about 70 shows across Karnataka. “I am keeping my fingers crossed. We are taking a leap of faith by releasing it around this time,” says the director, adding, “When more theatres open up, the number of releases will also increase and the supply will surpass the demand. It will be a risk to delay the release. So, we decided to do it now.”