More than a decade after Ragini IPS emerged as a commercial success, Ragini Dwivedi is set to return as the face of its sequel. The upcoming film aims to continue the original story while opening the door to a larger franchise. Jointly produced by K Manju and Ragini Dwivedi Ventures (RDV), the film will pick up from where the original film ended. For Ragini, the sequel is not merely about revisiting a successful film but also about collaboration and creating opportunities within the Kannada industry. “The people involved with Ragini IPS come from different backgrounds and understand cinema differently. I enjoy generating talent from within our industry and working with our own content,” Ragini tells CE. “The intention behind this project was also to bring the industry together, especially seasonal producers,” she says.
The actor shares a close association with producer K Manju, who backed her first film as a solo lead. “K Manju sir is family to me because he gave me Ragini IPS. We have had a journey together, and now that I’m stepping into production, I wanted him to be part of this venture,” she says. Ragini adds that the team had hoped to involve original director Anant Raju, but his health prevented that collaboration. “We were looking for the right story and directors. Franchise filmmaking is relevant today, and Ragini IPS 2 is a good start,” says the actor.
She also has larger plans for the sequel. “Kannada will be the primary language, but we are contemplating a bilingual version in Hindi or English. Back then Ragini IPS was dubbed into 21 languages through YouTube before OTT became prominent. Now we want to take it internationally.” Apart from Ragini IPS 2, Ragini also has Sarkari Nyabele Angadi and Madanika in the pipeline. She is also exploring digital content through an Prime Video-backed project. The film marks the directorial debut of brothers Gururaj Jaggesh and Yathiraj Jaggesh, sons of veteran actor Jaggesh. “It was Parimala amma who asked them to meet me,” Ragini says. “When I heard the one-line pitch, I was excited. They had done their homework.” Gururaj says the brothers have been preparing since 2019, including taking online filmmaking courses through New York Film University.
“We got opportunities as actors because of our father, but we wanted to be serious about direction,” he says, adding that the script is complete and Ragini will undergo training in Indonesia before shooting, which is expected to commence around the end of July. “Ragini IPS 2 is a true continuation of the earlier story,” Gururaj says.On the other hand, Producer K Manju recalls his long association with Ragini. “She is a talented performer. When Gururaj and Yathiraj narrated Ragini IPS 2, I found the content strong and promising. With Ragini Ventures joining hands, the film will go on floors soon.”
