Akarsh makes his directorial debut with Family Drama, a dark comedy that has already caught attention with its striking poster, featuring a family portrait on a fake 500 rupee note. “My first venture is centred on family members,” Akarsh explains. “Unlike the ideal families we saw decades ago, these characters are driven by money. The story explores the extreme lengths that regular people can go to when selfishness is exaggerated, all of which is treated humorously.”
Family Drama, produced by Dabbugudi Murali Krishna under the banner of DMK Entertainment, releases on July 26. With music composed by Chethan Ammaiah and cinematography by Sidharth Sunil, the film stars Abhay, Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy, Poornachandra Mysore, Ananya Amar, Rekha Kudligi, Aashith, Mahadev Hadapad, Malathesha, Veeresh, Arun Murthy, and Suraj Ravikiran.
An engineer-turned-director, Akarsh has a background in short films and is the writer for Rishab Shetty’s production venture Laughing Buddha, which is yet to see its release. He has also directed Project Sharapanjara, which has completed shooting and will hit theatres soon. Family Drama will be his first test as a director.
Akarsh explains his motivation for making a family outing his debut: “Growing up in the 90s, I miss the films made during that era, especially those with an ensemble cast. From 2000, films became more about the hero and the heroine. I want to bring back those genres, not as a strategic decision but out of love for such subjects. Even though it’s a family drama, it comes with a twist.”
With dark humour, he also incorporates crime elements. “There is no specific message; this is about characters who are selfish. Not all family members usually get along, and in Indian culture, individual motives become important. Crime is one of my favourite genres. While I have included violence, it is highlighted differently.”
The director further adds, “The characters may not be relatable to everyone, but you’ve probably seen them at a distance doing foolish things, and laughed at them.”
Akarsh enjoyed the experience of shooting Family Drama. “The story allowed me to work with all the aspects that can be enjoyed in theatres. With the current trend of films, communal viewing has become less common. Family Drama might just be the film that brings families together to watch,” he concludes.