Rishi: I want to do films that give back to the society

Kavaludaari hero Rishi is set to make his digital debut with the upcoming dark comedy, Nodi Swamy Ivanu Irode Heege (NSIIH). Directed by Islahuddin, the film will be out on Zee5 from July 22. “I was clear that NSIIH should come on OTT,” says Rishi, and elaborates, “I have realised that people nowadays go to theatres purely for entertainment, where they want to forget themselves for 3 hours. I felt that NSIIH will not give that conventional theatrical experience because it deals with a dark and sensitive subject. We felt this film would be best suited for streaming platforms.”

However, Rishi is quick to add that his next film, Ramana Avatara, is suited for a theatre experience. “Each film has to be decided on its merit, and we thought it is the right approach.”

According to Rishi, NSIIH is more of a personal journey of a protagonist, who is dealing with heartbreaks, depression, and suicidal tendencies. “NSIIH was a story that came to me even before Operation Alamelamma. But back then, I was not ready to take up such a subject. I’m a very positive person, and I couldn’t really connect with the character’s dark and depressed state. But over the years, the story would subconsciously come to my mind, and gradually, after meeting more people, I slowly connected with the story. I met people with mental health issues and tried to understand them. Talking to them gave me an insight into mental health issues, and that is when I went back to Isla and asked him whether we can do the film, and NSIIH happened,” says Rishi.

Rishi shares that his primary inspiration to do NSIIH was to offer something to society. “We keep doing commercial subjects, and once in a while, I think as to what I can give back to society as an actor? This has always haunted me. NSIIH highlights a topic like depression and suicide, which is less explored. To me, in every three films I do, I will come up with one subject that addresses societal issues. Depression and suicide are serious topics, and NSIIH talks about mental issues that need certain attention. But it is not a completely serious film, and it will be engaging and entertaining too,” he says.

Jointly produced by Dheeraj Mogilineni and Amrej Suryavanshi under Swecha Creations and StabFab productions banner, NSIIH also stars Dhanya Balakrishna and Nagabhushana in the lead roles. While the music is composed by Prasanna Sivaraman, the cinematography is handled by Vishnu Prasad P, Dulip Kumar MS, and editing is taken care of by Guruswamy T.