Private Project

MITHYAM - THE FALSE TRUTH

In a growing tourist town called Kadukode, known for its pristine natural beauty, an honest and diligent doctor named Abhay discovers a mysterious rise in mercury poisoning cases among the populace. What starts as a casual investigation into the source soon turns into a confounding, dangerous journey that brings him face-to-face with the true evil that presents itself as the saviour of the people.

Egged on by his friends Rahul and Sanjay, Abhay spends sleepless nights gathering irrefutable evidence for a scathing expose. But before he can blow the whistle and rip off the veil of darkness, the hunter becomes the hunted. He realises that the rabbit hole has only just begun. Will Abhay survive this unbreakable web of greed, corruption, smear campaigns, fake news and betrayal? Will he be able to wake up the town folk and his loved ones from the hypnotic grip of the false truth or will he himself succumb to this “Mithyam”?

  • Raghu Naik
    Director
  • Raghu Naik
    Writer
    Goodbye - Short film
  • Vinayak Naik
    Producer
  • Raghu Naik
    Producer
  • Ankit Varshneya
    Key Cast
    "Abhay"
  • Geet Sagar
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Joy"
  • Parivesh Padhy
    Key Cast
    "Rahul"
  • Gurleen Arora
    Key Cast
    "Sakshi"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 53 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 20, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    English, Hindi
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Raghu Naik

Raghu Naik hails from Bangalore in South India but has grown to be a world-citizen, working and living in cities like Mumbai (India), Jakarta (Indonesia), Atlanta (USA) and towns like Belgaum and Pune in India. This exposure to diverse art, literature, culture and international films is what inspired Raghu to become a filmmaker. After leaving a lucrative, high-paying software job in Atlanta, Raghu moved to Mumbai in 2010 and joined a film school to professionally pursue his life-long passion for cinema. He hasn’t looked back since then, working as a freelance writer, director, producer and editor in the Indian film industry in Mumbai, and creating several award-winning short films, documentaries, web series and advertisements. “Mithyam” is Raghu's first feature-length film as a director and is a labour of pure love and hard work. Next up, Raghu is directing a dystopian, near-futuristic sci-fi feature film which explores his favourite topic, "freedom".

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Director Statement

The film is inspired from true events that explore the injustice created by unlawful activities done by international companies who wilfully and knowingly break the laws to increase their profits. To further their neo-colonialist and imperialist ideology, they normally enlist the locals as their accomplices.
 
My film observes such individuals closely - The ones who watch the injustice happen and fear to react, the ones who try to make more money from the tragedy, the ones who want to run away from the problem, the whistle blower who does the right thing and is penalised by the majority and the ones who are on a remote-controlled suicide mission, just turning a blind eye as if hypnotised into thinking that what is killing them is good for them.
 
By exploring these characters who are all part of the highly aspirational and growing middle class of India in whose psyche the debate on development and conservation remains most divisive, I want to bring the audience face to face with the consequences of their choices.
 
The film is treated as a fast-paced investigative drama and hence through an absorbing, entertaining journey, the aim is to ignite the flame of humanity and inspire people to overcome their fears and stand committed to the truth.