Over time, Vinay Rajkumar gave varying explanations when asked about delays to Graamaayana. He initially felt anxious due to high expectations despite the project’s halt, but later grew accustomed to the questions. Strong public interest motivated Vinay and director Devanaru Chandru to finish the film after several obstacles. They remained committed because of its theme. Launched in 2018, the project faced financial and logistical issues before its release on July 3, 2026.
Vinay noted that project uncertainty was familiar, as two or three earlier films were announced but never completed. Production on Graamaayana stopped after 20-30 percent was shot in 2018 due to funding problems. The producer, NLN Murthy, died during the pandemic, and after two years without progress, Vinay pursued other work.
The 2024 film Pepe helped restart Graamaayana. Producers KP Sreekanth of Venus Entertainment, Naveen Manoharan, G Manoharan and Laharu Velu of Lahari Films sought a village story and chose to finance it.
Positive reviews have validated the team’s efforts. Audiences praised the realistic setting, strong acting and music by Poornachandra Tejaswi. Vinay attributed the turnaround to careful preparation. He and the director visited the village, recorded local speech patterns and studied the dialect. Vinay also held a workshop with actor Yash Shetty to develop his character, a village youth with keen instincts who takes various jobs while hoping to buy a tractor.
The story examines risks in village politics, drawing from the director’s upbringing in Devanur, Kadur taluk, Chikkamagaluru district.
Graamaayana is another Vinay project with a first-time director. He prefers working with young filmmakers on distinctive scripts rather than large productions, provided a capable producer ensures smooth release. New directors often feel comfortable collaborating with him during their mutual learning phase.
Vinay values box-office performance as a measure of reach and sustained audience interest, especially when many films leave theaters quickly. He hopes to play a role similar to the tragicomic lead in the 1982 film Haalu Jenu, originally starring his grandfather Dr Rajkumar.
