Kannada Hemanth Rao, known for emotionally echoed films such as ‘Godi Banna Sadran Maicattu’ and ‘Sappa Sagardache Aloe’, is not strangers to craft cinema. But on 11 April 2025, with his latest production ‘Agyathvasi’ coming to theaters, Rao found himself navigating a different discourse, which was played on social media, not on the big screen. Recently, a troll criticized the film’s poor publicity, stating that it was the cause of the film’s underperformance at the box office.

In the days after the release of the film, a post on X claimed that ‘Agyathawasi’ failed not due to the material, but due to lack of publicity efforts. “No promotion, no viewer !! This is such a simple (SIC),” Post read, other recent Kannada praised “correct” for promotion like ‘Yuqand’ and ‘Veera Chandrasa’, while ‘Agyathavasi’s’ team ‘team’ team accusing the team of expecting no noise.

Here’s the post:

Responding to the post, Hemantha Rao wrote, “Silence is often misunderstood to confirm your opinion … Easy answers are not always the correct answer. Each film has its own unique identity and journey. As stated, comparison is a thief of happiness.”

He admitted that the team could ‘better’ with promotion, but pushed back against the redective. He said, “We will reflect, learn, and go again,” he said, while also thanked those who supported the film.

Interestingly, before the release of ‘Agyathvasi’, Rao talked about these challenges in an interview. Hindustan TimesTaking a glimpse of the film’s expectations. “I definitely expect,” he said what was asked whether ‘Agyathawasi’ can repeat the PAN-Indian success of Malayalam thrilars. “It would be good if it crosses the boundaries and resonates with the audience,” he said.

He also accepted a difficult year for Kannada cinema: more than 70 films were released alone in 2025, many of which were struggling to find the audience. But instead of seeing it as a shock, Rao saw it as an opportunity. He said, “I don’t want to complain. I will break this scenario with various types of cinema. Most viewers come to theaters for tentpol films, but a good story can also bring back the Kannada audience,” he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge1CC2GCW2E

The 1997-Set Mystery thriller ‘Agyathhavasi’, directed by Gutu filmmaker Janardan Chikkanna, including an artist, including Rangana Raghu, Siddu Mulimani, Pawan Gowda and Ravi Shankar Gowda. The film was announced in early 2023, but faced many delays before reaching theaters in April.

While the debate on promotion has discussed, it has also highlighted an important question for the Kannada industry: how strong stories find their way for big viewers? For Rao, the answer is fine – not in the formula strategies, but in constructing a culture of continuous, long -term relationship between cinema and audience.