Ayyana Mane producer Shruti Naidu: Our Kannada web series is now down from 7 to 6 episodes | Exclusive

Kannada producer Shruti Naidu is one of the most popular names in the business of TV serials, having made some of Zee Kannada’s best shows between 2008 and 2020, like, for instance, Yaare Nee Mohini, Brahmagantu, Shreerastu Shubhamasthu and so on and so forth. So, when the opportunity to do something different within her comfort zone of content creation came up, she jumped at the opportunity. Shruti has produced Zee Network’s first-ever original Kannada web series, Ayyana Mane, which will drop on Zee5 on April 25.

“I desperately needed a change, as I was tired of doing television only. It was very stressful. The problem with diverting to cinema is that there is so much uncertainty in the Kannada film industry right now, which doesn’t give makers the confidence to invest on new projects. I was stuck, wondering what to do next when I was approached by the Network with a proposal to develop a Kannada original mini-series,” Shruti tells us.

Ayyana Mane, written and directed by Ramesh Indira

She then turned to filmmaker-actor Ramesh Indira, who directed most of her hit TV serials and the movie Premier Padmini, to come up wi th a story that would appeal to the network. “Web shows is a new ball game for us, so we asked the network what they were looking for, to give us an idea as to what to develop. They gave us a set of inputs, based on which Ramesh developed a basic plot, which was okayed. We were given a work order for 7 episodes, the entire writing of which was handled by Ramesh. They liked the screenplay, but then came the question of budget,” says Shruti.

The Ayyana Mane producer adds that there was no question of compromise, which would affect the quality of the end product, even though there were budgetary constraints. Within their limitations, the team did the best she says and explains, “Audiences are already under the impression that makers can’t get Kannada content right. I wanted to break that and give them the best quality within the framework available to us. Considering that Zee5 was just opening its door to Kannada content, there was not much by way of budget. I had decided that no matter what, I would fulfil whatever the subject demands.”

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Shruti Naidu: Not making another routine serial with Ayyana Mane

Shruti adds that the outdoor locations stretched them beyond the limits, but it was a necessity to get the right look and feel of the house that is at the centre of the tale. “We needed an old Malnad-style mansion, which could not be created in a set, so we went to Chikkamagaluru to shoot those portions. Seeing the final output, I am very happy now,” she says. The bigger challenge, though, says Shruti, was to convince audiences with Ayyana Mane that she was not making another routine serial. For this, she told Ramesh to fill up the crew with technicians who work on cinema, to ensure high-end video and audio output.

With Ayyana Mane, Shruti and Ramesh are presenting a crime thriller with a hint of the supernatural, that unfolds in one house, with a bevy of members, each of whom has a story. Amid developing an intriguing story and detailed characterisation for each member of the family, the duo has also ensured that there is no unnecessary lag that takes the focus away from the central plot. “We’d made 7 episodes, which we have cut down to 6 now, and can be trimmed a little more for a crisp viewing experience. The attention span of audiences is quite limited, and we knew we had to tell them only what is required in the story,” she says, adding that each episode is only about 18-20 minutes in length.

The hope now is that the feedback from Kannada audiences about the story, screenplay and direction will take Ayyana Mane places and find viewership outside of Karnataka too. Ayyana Mane stars Kushee Ravi, Akshya Nayak, Ramesh indira, VIjay Shobraj, Anirudh Acharya, Archana Kottige, Manasi Sudheer, Hitha Chandrashekar, among others.