Private Project

Rakkasa

In the quiet South Indian town of Udupi, Reepu, Pakku and Santu, three working-class friends, trapped in the monotony of their lives, dream of escaping to a better future but lack the means. Economic anxieties are getting to them. On Krishna Ashtami, a festival dedicated to Hindu god Krishna, the town's streets into a colorful, chaotic carnival where kids and adults dress up as cosplays of characters from Indian mythology. Imagine, halloween for adults and kids alike. A contest for the the best Rakkasa (demon) cosplay, offering a cash prize offers the trio some hope for a better life. Determined to win the most dreadful demon contest, the three hit the town as Rakkasas. However, their quest for the cash prize spirals into a wild, surreal adventure filled with unexpected twists. The festival changes their lives in ways they have not imagined as sectarian and communal tensions raise their ugly head. The film was shot over four days during the festival -- with plenty of non-actors, employing guerrilla techniques.

  • Vishnu G
    Director
  • Raghunandan G
    Writer
  • Vishnu G
    Producer
  • Avinash Rai
    Key Cast
    "Pakku"
  • Rohith Baikady
    Key Cast
    "Reepu"
  • Bhuvan Manipal
    Key Cast
    "Santu"
  • Pradeep B Reddy
    Cinematographer
    Garuda Gamana Vrishaba Vahana
  • Arun Kumar
    Sound Designer
    The Fable (Jugnuma), Kumbalangi Nights, Kannur Squad
  • Sidhant Mathur
    Music Director
    Jamtara
  • Dinesh Shenoy
    Executive Producer
    Madhyantara
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    ರಕ್ಕಸ
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Other
  • Genres:
    Comedy, experimental, social commentary, guerilla
  • Runtime:
    42 minutes 43 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 2, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Kannada
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony FX6
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Vishnu G

G Vishnu is an independent filmmaker based in Udupi, a coastal town in South India. He began his career as an investigative journalist in New Delhi. Over time, his search for deeper forms of storytelling led him to cinema. Rakkasa is his maiden film as a director.

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Director Statement

Rakkasa or Rakshasas are demonic characters from different mythologies in South Asia. While most recent tales portray them as evil or ghoulish, there are plenty of Rakshasas from Buddhist and Jain mythologies that are ‘noble’ and benevolent.

Udupi, the south Indian town I come from, is synonymous with Udupi restaurants and South Indian food. It's a quiet sea-side town otherwise. Except two days a year, when the town celebrates Krishna Ashtami, the supposed birthday of Krishna, the Hindu god. The festival is a public spectacle; the entire town turns into a carnival. What makes the festival truly fantastic are the 𝘝𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘴. Everyone from little kids to grown up men don costumes and roam around the town as cosplays of all kinds of characters from mythology or pop culture. Loitering around Udupi on the festive days, one may encounter tigers, leopards, bears, clowns, monkeys, lions, Lord Krishnas, Ganeshas, Gandhis, Hollywood characters and of course demons of all sorts. That way India, just like every other country in the world, comes alive during festivals. In many ways, festivals bring meaning and colour to our otherwise mundane lives. There’s something universal about enjoying cosplaying and enjoying festivals shedding inhibitions.

My brother and I grew up in Udupi, celebrating ashtami, donning veshas. Ashtami that we used to witness was never just a Hindu festival; it was a festival for the whole town. Everyone would be a part of the celebration because who doesn’t like to see tigers dancing. Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Hindus of all sorts would forget their worries and hit the streets on the two days. Of all the Veshas, Udupi’s 'Piliveshas' or 'Tiger cosplays' are the most popular. Entire town reverberates with percussion bangers as Pilivesha troupes go from neighbourhood to neighborhood dancing and performing stunts. Rakkasas on the other hand are the most ubiquitous. Rakkasa veshas are mostly fashioned by working class men. Donning the Rakkasa vesha is both lucrative and an outlet for puerile fun them.

Things are changing though. Community lines are getting drawn and division is easier to find than calls for togetherness. Communal and group hatred are raising their ugly heads everywhere. Festivals are no different. Over the last few years, right-wing mobs have been imposing a boycott/ban on minorities from participating in fairs and festivals. My brother wrote this short story in 2015 keeping these troubling developments in the background. His story was full of characters inspired by real-life characters from our childhood.

I have waited a 8 years to make this film as I wanted to shoot it during the festival days with on-the-spot improvisation and documentary techniques. Much of blocking and staging had to be done on the location, accounting for crowds and cosplays we encountered. It was chaotic yet completely fulfilling.

- V