Debut director Harshiv Karthik on his Telugu film ‘Bahumukham’

Debut director Harshiv Karthik's psychological thriller Bahumukham, starring himself, explores the human psyche in a suspenseful drama.

The intricacies of the human psyche inspired Harshiv Karthik to embark on his maiden directorial venture with the film Bahumukham, a psychological thriller. The film will also see Karthik play the lead along with a host of new faces.

Karthik, who completed his Engineering in Visakhapatnam, moved to the US in 2008 to pursue a career in IT. He grew up admiring the works of veteran Telugu filmmakers like K Vishwanath and K Balachander. During his schooling, he was naturally drawn to the stage, which led him to win the first State level dance competition in 2004.

Karthik chose a secure life in the corporate world to support his middle-class family. However, he deeply desired to explore his passion for cinema and try his hand in film-making. Over the past couple of years, he has been delving into the various aspects of film-making during his free time. “Like any new artiste in cinema who doesn’t have any background in films, I was spending time to learn the craft. The genre of psychological thrillers has always appealed to me; it’s also a genre that clicks well with the audience,” says Karthik, who has written, designed, produced and directed the film. Bahumukham was filmed in multiple locations in Atlanta, Macon, Canton and the surroundings of Georgia and other parts of the USA. The trailer that released in February hinted at a gripping narration with an engaging background score by Sreecharan Pakala.

The film centres on the journey of the protagonist (Tanveer), an aspiring young actor who moves to a city after spending his formative years in a detention centre. He meets Disha, a psychotherapist, every month as a part of his mandatory counseling sessions. Tanveer seeks help from her to pursue his and his mother’s dream to become an actor and tries to start a new life. However, he holds terrifying secrets that make him a threat to people around him.

The story explores the protagonist’s dichotomy in a suspenseful drama. The film has been co-produced by Arvind Reddy and has been made under the banner of Crystal Mountain Productions. The female lead in the film is debutant actor Swarnima Singh and Russian dancer Maria Martinova is also among the cast. Luke Fletcher is the cinematographer, Phani Kalyan is the music director. The film has been screened at film festivals in the US and France.

“I have tried to experiment with a new concept in this film and hope it will go well with the audience,” says Karthik, hinting at portraying three characters in the film. “Many sections of the story are inspired by my life and struggles in the world of cinema when I used to audition for films in Hyderabad; but due to family pressure, I ended up changing the course of my career,” he adds.

Speaking about integrating art forms in the film, Karthik says he reached out to Maria Martynova for a musical sequence for blending the dance forms of flamenco and kathak. “The dance sequence happens in a flashback setting. While we were collaborating on this, Maria ended up playing a significant character in the film,” he adds.