From dream to reality
Backed by actor-director Rakshit Shetty, Mithya, a movie about a 11-year-old boy’s trauma of losing both parents, was screened at BIFFes 2024
Sumanth Bhat has realised his longcherished dream. His directorial debut, Mithya, premiered at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival last year, and watching his movie on the big screen became a special experience for Sumanth. “I felt a great sense of accomplishment,” he says.
Mithya is a poignant story of an 11yearold boy who nurses the wounds of losing both his parents. “Towards the end of the film, people were twitching and turning in their seats, and some of them were even in tears. I was overwhelmed. There was a strange energy in theatre, and that’s what cinema is all about,” he offers.
The film is produced by actordirector Rakshit Shetty’s production house Paramvah Studios. Rakshit got emotional after reading the screenplay of Mithya, reveals Sumanth. “He didn’t want to change anything in the story,” says Sumanth, on the sidelines of his film’s screening at the 15th Bengaluru International Film Festival. The film won a Special Jury Mention at the festival.
Mithya, through its young protagonist, realistically portrays the characteristics of adolescence. “I am a parent to a sevenyearold and threeyearold. So, being around children helped me write the story better. In fact, if you look at the sibling rivalry shown in the film, it’s drawn from what I observed in my children. The rivalry starts as something very harmless, but later on, one thing leads to another, and it explodes. My 11yearold nephew was also another reference point,” notes Sumanth. The film delves into the mind of
Mithun (Athish S Shetty) who faces an identity crisis after he shifts from Mumbai to Udupi following the demise of his parents. Mithya struggles to open up to his aunt and uncle and maintains a shaky relationship with his few friends at school.
“The starting point of this film was an incident in my distant relative’s family. The father died of an illness, and 13 days later, the mother committed suicide. During the funeral, I saw their threeyearold boy jumping around. He had no idea what had happened. That image of the boy haunted me, and I wanted to understand how children of that age grieve for their parents,”
Sumanth explains.
As Mithya’s journey becomes relatable, the film reflects on the importance of childhood. “I didn’t want to go wrong in the psychological aspect of my story. I read stories about children who were abandoned, or lost their parents to death. The healing is a long process. Even in my movie, the ending is just the start of Mithya’s healing.”
Even as he is excitedly waiting for the theatrical release of Mithya, Sumanth is confident of writing his next film. “Mithya’s release has given me closure. I was wondering if the film would see the light of the day. Now I can move on to my next with satisfaction.”