“Mithya is a film I made after being deeply haunted by a real-life story that unfolded before my eyes.”

Director Sumanth Bhat attended a relative’s funeral a few years ago and it left him deeply disturbed. “It was back in 2021 when a male relative of ours passed away in Mumbai. On the 13th day of the ritual, the wife committed suicide. They left behind two kids aged 11 and 3. The funeral rites were completed in their native town of Udupi and I saw the 11-year old perform all the rituals, while the three-year-old was playing with other kids who were present at the spot. That sight haunted me for days and left me wondering what if something like this were to happen with me? How would my kids process this whole situation. I think most of us go through this feeling and that’s how I arrived upon the theme for Mithya,” shares Sumanth.

The film even though features a young boy in the lead is not to be confused for a children’s film, points out the director. “The film is about a boy who lives in Mumbai with his parents and has to travel back to his hometown with his aunt following the demise of his parents. The land, the people, language are all new to him and he’s had no time to grieve. Mithya explores a myriad of emotions and we begin to wonder when exactly do we start processing grief. This is definitely not a children’s subject and adults will be able to relate to it at a rather personal level,” points out Sumanth.
Mithya is set to hit screens in March and is the first feature length film which Sumanth has directed. “I know Rakshit Shetty, whose Paramvah Studios has produced this film, since we made short films back in 2008. And the kind of faith he put into it is incredible. The film has done the rounds of most festivals and will now come home to a theatrical release,” sums up Sumanth.