Raghu Samarth directorial Law is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
After making his directorial debut with Smile Please (2017), Raghu Samarth took his sweet time to put together his second movie. “I don’t want to make movies just for the sake of it. I make a movie only when I feel strongly about something. I aspire to make films that stand out from the crowd,” said Raghu Samarth whose new film Law is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Raghu Samarth assisted veteran screenwriter TN Seetharam before venturing out on his own. “Whatever I know about screen scripting, it is all because of my mentor Seetharam sir,” he added.
Earlier, Raghu Samarth worked as a writer for various shows, including Kannadada Kotyadhipati, which was hosted by movie star Puneeth Rajkumar. It was while working on the game show, Raghu developed a good rapport with Puneeth.
“Puneeth is a no-nonsense person. If he doesn’t like something, he tells that to your face. Also, at the same time, he can’t help but show excitement when he likes something. He appreciates our work wholeheartedly,” Raghu said, remembering his working experience with the star.
Puneeth Rajkumar has bankrolled Raghu Samarth’s Law.
Puneeth has bankrolled Raghu Samarth’s Law, which stars Ragini Prajwal in the lead role. “When I narrated the story to Puneeth, he was very excited about the movie. He found the plot very interesting. And then I narrated it to Ashwini ma’am. After she heard the story, the first thing she asked was, ‘Raghu when will you start shooting?’ I didn’t know back then, but the producers were also looking for a strong women-centric story,” he recalled.
After landing the backing of PRK Productions, Raghu wasted no time in putting together the cast and crew. Within two months after getting the producers’ nod, he started shooting. By December, he was even done with the censor formalities.
“The protagonist in the film is a happy-go-lucky girl. But, when some injustice happens to her dear ones, she fights for justice. So, I was looking for someone who looks vulnerable and strong at the same time,” Raghu remarked.
Raghu Samarth wanted to rope in a fresh face to play the protagonist because he did not want the baggage that established actors could bring to the character. “I had seen Ragini in ad films and she had also acted in a short film, Rishabhapriya. I knew that she would be right for the character. And she also found it challenging, when I narrated the film to her,” he added.
Raghu felt that of late there were not many movies that offered impactful women characters that were created by erstwhile masters like Puttanna Kanagal. “I wanted to make a film with a strong female protagonist. Some injustice happens to a woman. And she suffers quietly. But, what happens when she stands up for herself and fights back within the purview of the law?” he said.
And that thought inspired Raghu Samarth to write Law. He noted that he had professional lawyers on sets to make the court proceedings look as genuine as possible.
“The highlight of the film will be how the protagonist chooses to fight for justice. I have given a unique treatment to it compared to the way it is handled usually in such films,” he added.