Harikathe Alla Girikathe: "My own journey as a struggling filmmaker became the best reference for my character," says Rishab Shetty

Harikathe Alla Girikathe, by the looks of it, is many films wrapped into one. At the first glimpse, it's a bonafide comedy caper that boasts of elements of crime and mystery, albeit in a largely palatable way. But should one dig slightly deeper into the film's promotional material, they are likely to find a struggler's journey nestled in the main story which also carries the entire emotional energy. As the title suggests, this is the story of Giri, a naive yet charming guy who sets out to fulfill his father's lost dream of becoming a filmmaker. For actor Rishab Shetty, who plays Giri in the film, his character is a manifestation of the many struggles an aspirant endures, and his own journey to becoming a successful filmmaker is rigged with the same highs and lows. Sure, Giri's attempted path to glory in the film ends up being a comedy of errors but it is never devoid of an emotional context.

"If I had to speak of a specific real-life reference to my character Giri, I think I would be it. Whatever you see in the film, all his struggles, shenanigans, and wild attempts, I feel I have gone through them during my time as an assistant director. Plus, I brought everything that I saw in my friends who were in a similar state. Be it getting to Bengaluru, or finding opportunities in the Kannada Film Industry as an Assistant Director, and thereon, I can completely relate to this character. All of us assistant directors dreamt big back in the day - sitting outside a tea shack, discussing cinema, and even dissing the biggest of films - and those experiences still remain with me. So, when it came to playing the part of a struggling filmmaker in Harikathe Alla Girikathe, I suppose my own story served as the best inspiration," said Rishab Shetty in an interview with the Film Companion. 

And interestingly, Rishab himself has been responsible for the shaping of the film's story. Right from the nascent stages, he would stand as the sounding board for the original story writer Girikrishna and nudge the story in the right direction, whenever possible. "The first time I heard the story, I remember loving it - all the comical sequences, the bizarreness of it all, etc. - but it wasn't "the story" yet. I suppose my most important suggestion to the story would be the emotional angle that plays through the father-son relationship. I wanted the drive in Giri to become a filmmaker in the film to be justified strongly and the fact that he is the son of a dreamer lent that emotional depth. Plus, audiences will see a lot of me in the character because of the personal experiences I carry," he added in the same interview.

Harikathe Alla Girikathe releases in theatres on June 23. The film's cast also includes Rachana Inder, Honnavalli Krishna, Rakshith Ramachandra Shetty, Thapaswini Poonacha, Pramod Shetty, and others. The combination of Karan Ananth and Anirudh Mahesh has directed the film.