Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye trailer: Raj B Shetty presents a poignant tale of caring for the dying

Actor-filmmaker Raj B Shetty has often spoken about the inspiration behind the script he wrote for Swathi Mutthina Male Haniya. A random telephone conversation with a woman he did not know, who was looking for someone to lend her an ear. Amid multiple bouts of crying, what struck Raj was that she was able to communicate with him, a rank stranger, far more than she could with her husband of 15 years. This, in a way, became the starting point for the film he then wrote and made as Kannada actress Ramya’s first home production.

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The film is set for a November 24 theatrical outing, in the run up to which, the team launched the trailer today, which finally gave audiences a better idea of what’s to come. Turns out, Raj’s film is not a love story as previously thought. It’s a tender tale of comfort and companionship, as seen through the eyes of Prerana (Siri Ravikumar) a counsellor at a palliative care centre, who prepares end-stage patients for the inevitable. Even as they hope against hope for ‘more time’ or just a dignified, pain-free end, none of which is on the horizon, it’s Prerana’s job to help them cross over. When she then meets Aniketh (Raj), who’s not a fan of counselling, a beautiful bond of trust, caring and so much more develops between the doctor and the patient.

Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye should be an OTT release; decision is up to the producer: Raj B Shetty 

Swathi Mutthina Male was, incidentally, meant to mark Ramya’s return to the big screen. But she later felt that the role of Prerana was better suited for a relatively newer face. Letting go of a good film did not come easily to her, but Ramya had said that she took the decision for the larger good of the project. The film was Raj’s third directorial, but delays in its release meant that his next, Toby came out before that. Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye also stars Gopalkrishna Deshpande and Sandhya Arekere, both of who had roles in Toby too. The film’s technical crew includes cinematographer Pravin Shriyan and music director Midhun Mukundan, two of Raj’s regular collaborators.

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