A Kannada film based on black magic, Diglupura, began with a muhurtha ceremony held last Friday at Kanteerava Studio. Action director Thriller Manju clapped for the first scene.
Kannada cinema has rarely explored black magic. Decades ago, Etu Ediretu and more recently Kataka dealt with similar concepts. After many years, Diglupura takes up this theme again. The film carries the tagline “The Dead Walk in Scary Village.” It is written and directed by Manojna Manvanthara and produced under R.V.M.M. Productions through Rare Vision Movie Makers. The main cast includes Ramesh Pandit, Laya Kokila, and Fardeen Ahmed.
Speaking at the press meet, director Manojna Manvanthara said that Diglupura is a cult horror film set in a scary village and introduces the jump scare concept to Kannada cinema. He said the film is based on imaginary elements inspired by what people have seen and heard over time. The concept explores the question of what fear is and suggests that even after death, human thoughts continue to exist.
Set in the 1980s, the story takes place in a fictional village called Diglupura, where rival black magicians use their powers to kill people who oppose them. No one dares to enter the village, and those who do die mysteriously. However, five protagonists gather courage to go there, uncover the secrets behind the village, and return victorious—only to die later. The reason behind their deaths forms the main thread of the story.
The film will be shot in four phases over 60 days in and around Ramanagara, Channapatna, Tailuru, Muthathi, and Talakadu.
Veteran actor Ramesh Pandit and Laya Kokila play two powerful sorcerers from the village and spoke about their roles. Other actors include Suhas, Pramod, Latha Nagaraj, Mahesh, and Yashavanth. Prasad Nayak handles cinematography, and Venky UVD is the editor.