‘Many film folk avoided being part of March 22 because they feared it’d evoke controversy’

He is 27 films old. But from what his cast — all first-timers — tell us, he is 25 at heart. Critically-acclaimed, award-winning director Kodlu Ramakrishna is gearing up for the release of his next Kannada film —March 22. While the filmmaker is among the handful of those who opt to adapt literature on celluloid, this story — has been written by him.
An illustrious career that has been recognized by a number of awards, Ramakrishna’s films come under a variety of genres — from commercial and out right laughathons, to the more serious message-oriented ones.“I enjoy comedy the most, but I have not restricted myself to one genre, as I have different kinds of stories to tell. This new one, however, is a message-oriented story,” he explains.
Starring newcomers Arya Vardhan, Kiran Raj, Meghashri and Deepthi Shetty, the director tells us that while this was not the initial cast for this film, the fresh casting has worked out better for the story. “I had approached a lot of well-known actors for this film. I was also in touch with producers who were keen to invest on it. But over time, even those who gave the nod, opted out, as they feared this story was sure to attract controversy. Though, apart from the essential all-new main lead cast, the film is well supported by bigwigs such as Ananth Nag, Ashish Vidhyarthi, Sharath Lohitashwa, Ravi Kale and Vinaya Prasad. And, luckily, I found my producer in Harish of Acme International, who was looking at investing in a thought-provoking story like this one,” he adds.
So, what is it about the film that people feel might be controversial? “March 22 is commonly known as World Water Day. Sure, the crux of the story has to do with water, but it is a lot more than that. It is set against a backdrop of a village in North Karnataka where people of all religions lived in absolute unity. Here then arises an issue concerning water, followed by the politics surrounding it — so much so that one is faced with the existential question that has plagued a lot of us Indians for centuries — is religious faith greater than humanity? There are situations that touch upon sensitive topics concerning communal violence that out country has witnessed. I took over six months to write this script, to ensure that I drive home a point and make people think. It is a story that is bound to stay on with audiences much after they have watched it onscreen,” explains Ramakrishna.