Vinay Rajkumar interview: On the long journey behind ‘Graamaayana’

Over the years, Vinay Rajkumar found himself offering different reasons to everyone who asked why Graamaayana had been delayed. “Initially, I was nervous because people had a lot of expectations from the movie despite it being stalled. However, gradually, I got used to the queries about the film and gave different answers,” says the actor.

People’s undying interest in the movie was the driving force behind Vinay and director Devanaru Chandru completing the project despite multiple hurdles. “Even if completing Graamaayana took time, we believed in the film because of its subject.” After its launch in 2018, Graamaayana overcame financial and logistical challenges to finally see the light of day on July 3, 2026.

“Uncertainty around my project isn’t new to me,” says Vinay. “Not many people know this, but two or three films of mine were launched and never got made. With Graamaayana, we shot around 20-30% of the movie in 2018 before financial issues stopped the production. A couple of years later, our producer (NLN Murthy) passed away during the pandemic. After spending two years with the project with no progress, I moved on to other films,” recollects Vinay.

“Pepe proved to be the turning point for Graamaayana,“ he points out. The 2024 rural crime drama indirectly fuelled the relaunch of the stalled project. “Producers KP Sreekanth (Venus Entertainment), Naveen Manoharan, G Manoharan and Laharu Velu (Lahari Films) were keen on making a village-based story. They saw the potential in Graamaayana and decided to bankroll it.”

Vinay Rajkumar.
| Photo Credit:
RAVICHANDRAN N

For Vinay and his team, the positive reviews have come as much-needed validation after years of uncertainty. People are impressed with the authentic backdrop, intense performances, and catchy music (Poornachandra Tejaswi). Vinay credits proper planning for the remarkable turnaround.

“The director and I went for a recce to the village and talked to a lot of people to understand how they spoke. We recorded our conversations to work on the dialect. After that, I did a workshop with actor Yash Shetty to understand my character further,” says Vinay about his role of a village youth blessed with sharp instincts, who takes odd jobs while dreaming of owning a tractor one day.

The movie portrays the perils of village politics. “Our director has mined his experience of growing up in his hometown, Devanur (in Kadur taluk of Chikkamagaluru district).“

Vinay Rajkumar and Megha Shetty in the movie.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Graamaayana marks yet another Vinay movie with a rookie filmmaker. Is it a conscious choice to work with young directors and not chase big-budget movies with established banners? “I feel you need to have a smart producer who can ensure the smooth release of your films. If I can collaborate with somebody like that on a unique script, then scale isn’t really a major concern,” says Vinay. “As for new filmmakers, I think they have a comfort level to work with me. It helps that I am also in a learning phase and they are also working with a similar mindset.”

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Despite choosing unconventional scripts, Vinay insists that box office success matters to him. “Box office numbers reflect a movie’s reach. It’s one way to measure a film’s success. A good box office verdict shows the movie has sustained for a long time, especially in a time when films aren’t surviving in theatres for more than two weeks. It’s a testament to the movie’s strong word-of-mouth.”

On the subject of his dream role, Vinay says, “I wish to do something on the lines of Haalu Jenu.”  The 1982 movie starred Vinay’s grandfather, thespian Dr Rajkumar. “It’s a tragicomedy. It makes you smile throughout despite the underlying sadness. I want to explore such a subject.”