Neo-noir films are a rarity in the Indian Film Industry. In the Kannada film Industry, we don’t make genre films often and when it has been attempted, either the filmmakers themselves or the audience have failed the film.
Arishadvarga, a Kannada neo-noir film will be hitting screens soon and it is an opportunity to revive or re-introduce noir to the local audience. The film has been selected for Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival where it will be screened alongside Vasan Bala’s Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota and Ritesh Batra’s Photograph. It is the second kannada film to be selected at the festival after Lucia.
In Hindu theology, Arishadvarga refers to six enemies – kama(lust), krodha(anger), lobha(greed), moha (attachment), mada(pride) and matsarya(jealousy) which prevents a man from attaining moksha or salvation.
The synopsis of Arishadvarga on the festival page reads as:
“An aspiring actor doubling as an amateur gigolo gets caught up in a sticky situation after accepting a surprise gift from an anonymous client. Anish is desperately trying to make it as an actor but his dire financial situation pushes him to look for an escape, which he finds with an anonymous wealthy client. Called to her place one day for a rendezvous, he turns up only to be met with a surprise gift, ‘a murder’. He finds himself framed for a crime he didn’t commit with a witness who is convinced he is the culprit. Arishadvarga is a smart and tense neo-noir thriller that will have you guessing who did it till the very
end.”
Talking to metro life about the difference between Arishadvarga and other mainstream films, Arvind Kamath, the director of the film said “It has songs but it doesn’t have songs in dance. The film doesn’t break into songs unnecessarily”.
Avinash, the lead actor in the film feels there is something for everyone to take away from the film. “The film is a bold attempt at telling a murder mystery. This comes neatly wrapped in complexities of relationships. I really like the way director Arvind Kamath has knit the characters together to tell a story which is real and relatable.”
Arishadvarga is being screened at Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival on the 23rd and 26th of this month. If you are around in the UK, don’t forget to catch the film before its release here in India.
Starring Avinash Yelandur, Nanda Gopal, Samyukta Hornad and Sudha Belavadi, the film is eyeing for a July release. The music is by Udith Haritas. Balaji Manohar is the director of Photography. The film is written, edited and directed by Arvind Kamath.
