Ayana is a slice-of-life film about an entrepreneur: Gangadhar Salimath

It’s a good time for film teams dabbling with experimental cinema in Sandalwood, as audiences have been warming up to non-formulaic storytelling sans big stars. This is what the team of today’s release, Ayana, produced by Gangadhar Salimath, Basavaraj Khedad, Bharat Khot and Krishna Varchagall, for Dees Films, is hoping will work for them as it hits theatres.Directed by newcomer Gangadhar, the film brings together a bunch of theatre enthusiasts making their foray on to the big screen, including Deepak Subramanya and Apoorva Soma.
Even though Gangadhar has no previous work experience in films, he is hoping that the fact that he has learnt his craft from Sanjay Nambiar, who has also trained Kollywood director Karthik Subbaraj, will give audiences enough impetus to check out what he brings to the table. Here, the debutant lists what he thinks make Ayana a must-watch.
w Ayana is a simple, slice-of-life exploration of the journey an entrepreneur goes through. Seen through the eyes of protagonist, Aditya, it traverses from his days as a bachelor, ambitious professional, married man and then entrepreneur, to depict the highs and lows that one goes through in chasing one’s dreams. In a sense, it is semi autobiographical, as I have also dabbled with entrepreneurship briefly.
w The subject — about a software entrepreneur — is fresh for the Kannada film market. In Bengaluru, especially, one often hears about people who have succeeded in the start-up sector. But that is a miniscule 2%. The stories of the other 98% who got left behind in the rat race, or for that matter, the struggles behind the success of that 2% is rarely spoken about and that is what Ayana delves into. But whether Aditya succeeds with his venture or not, will have to be seen in theatres.
w The film has been produced by my pals whom I have known for most of my life. There is immense trust among us and I have brought that to the screen in the depiction of Aditya’s relationship with his close friends. It is an integral part of the narrative.
w The cinematography has been done by Varun DK, a gold medallist from the LV Prasad Institute, while Nithin Lukose, the man behind the amazing sounds of Thithi and Shuddhi, worked on the sound of Ayana. Music is by Shriyansh Shreeram, which is a definite bonus to the entire package.
w The cast, although new to the big screen, comes with rich theatre background and gives the film a fresh feel and perspective.