Hayagrriva director Raghukumar: The villain reveal will be a major surprise for audiences

Hayagrriva, which stars Dhanveerrah in the lead, in what is his first investigative thriller. The film, which marks the debut of director Raghukumar, hits theatres on February 27, 2026

Team Hayagrriva has chosen not to reveal the villain pre-release

Hayagrriva, the Kannada investigative thriller starring Dhanveerrah in the lead, is following pretty much the same formula as the recent Raj B Shetty-led Rakkasapuradhol. The team’s not revealing who the villain in the tale is prior to the film’s February 27, 2026. The surprise element of that reveal apart, the makers also reckon that the character design is such that the antagonist does what he does – killing people – for a greater good. Based on the teaser and the recent trailer, it seems that the villain conducts illegal human clinical trials which lead to the deaths of subjects, the investigation of which Dhanveerah’s Arjun Hayagrriva handles.

Why the villain of Hayagrriva is being kept a mystery

The decision to not reveal the villain happened even before they went on floors, says debutant director Raghukumar OR, stating that if they figure it out too early, there’s no real suspense left. The villain, he says, is a known actor, who has done an antagonist role after very many years, which will be a major surprise for audiences. Raghukumar adds that he did consider casting a newcomer, to ensure audiences don’t guess at all, but then felt that the reveal may not be as powerful as intended.

Hayagrriva, the director adds is action packed, but the violence and bloodshed are limited as far as possible. The film is a tad under 2 hours and 30 minutes in run-time and has the likes of Sanjana Anand, Sharath Lohithashwa, Ashwin Hassan, Sadhu Kokila, Ramesh Bhat, Krishna Hebbale, Shobraj, among others on the cast.

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Raghukumar, incidentally, was meant to kickstart his directing journey with Puneeth Rajkumar and had approached the Power Star, who’d asked him to work on a short film first to showcase his technical and story-telling prowess. Puneeth had liked the final product and released it on his banner’s official YouTube page, but the actor’s untimely demise meant that this collaboration was not to be. Hayagrriva, says Raghukumar, is not the subject intended for Puneeth.

Hayagrriva FAQs

Q, When and where to watch Hayagrriva?

A. The Kannada film Hayagrriva releases in theatres on February 27, 2026. No details are currently available about its post-theatrical OTT deal.

Q. Who is on the cast of Hayagrriva?

A. Hayagrriva stars Dhanveerrah in the lead, along with Sanjana Anand, Sharath Lohithashwa, Ashwin Hassan, Gilli Nata, among others.

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