Kannada filmmaker Janardhan Chikkanna made quite an impression in industry circles and among audiences with his debut film Gultoo, a cybercrime-based film with Naveen Shankar in the lead. Following the success of Gultoo , Janardhan says that he was clueless for a while about what to do next. He had a couple of ideas, but they did not pan out.

During the pandemic, he discovered the narrative of Agnyathavasi, crafted by its author, Krishna Raju, and was captivated by three key aspects. "Firstly, the structure of the screenplay; secondly, the method of the murder; and lastly, the underlying motive for the crime. These three components felt remarkably innovative within the thriller genre, which thrilled me," Janardhan explains. He subsequently shared the story with his friend, filmmaker Hemanth M Rao. Fortunately, Hemanth also appreciated the narrative and inquired about the cast, to which Janardhan immediately thought of Rangayana Raghu. 

According to the filmmaker, the seasoned actor is a treasure trove of talent, revealing new dimensions of his craft with each performance. Regarding the film's leading lady, Pavana Gowda, Janardhan acknowledges that she was not his initial choice, as he had auditioned numerous other actresses before selecting her. "There is a monologue in the film that we asked all auditioning actresses to perform, and Pavana delivered the best rendition," he notes.

Regarding the narrative of Agnyathavasi, Janardhan describes it as taking place in a charming village in Malnad during 1997. The local police station, which has been in operation for 25 years, has never recorded a single crime, leading the officers to live in a manner similar to the village's inhabitants. However, in 1997, a murder is reported for the first time, and the story unfolds as the officers, lacking any prior experience in criminal investigations, attempt to uncover the identity of the perpetrator.

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