Suchendra Prasad (left) in a nonetheless from the movie
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The movie Viraatapura Viraagi had a silent launch final month. The movie relies on the lifetime of Hanagal Kumaraswami, who’s also referred to as the 20th Century Basavanna. Kumaraswami is widespread in north Karnataka as the person who sacrificed all the pieces to propagate schooling, music and performing arts in rural areas. “Some of the educational institutions, he founded are still running in Belgaum and Bijapur,” says the director BS Lingadevaru. “He used to travel by foot and occasionally by bullock cart to Bagalkote, Bellary, Bidar, to spread the word.
Lingadevaru’s name is synonymous with the award-winning film, Nannu Avanalla Avalu, which featured the late Sanchari Vijay and was about transgenders.
“Kumaraswami’s goal was to serve society. The film follows his journey, from his infancy to death. Even the title of the film, Viraatapura Viraagi , is an ode to the seer as Viraatapura is the place he hails from, explains the director.
Lingadevaru describes Viraatapura Viraagi as a film that puts the spotlight on a seer, who is not known beyond the borders of North Karnataka. “Hanagal Kumaraswami was born in 1867 and died in 1930. I call this a period film, which just about introduces the society to his profound works, ideology, and reforms in the pre-Independent era. His passion to support the arts and music was so intense that one day when he heard two blind boys singing, he brought them to his math and provided them with the training and education they needed.”
One of the boys went on to change into the famed singer Panchakshara Gavai. “Though Kumaraswami did not personally train him, he arranged for teachers for Gavai and his brother from north India and Lahore. History says that Kumaraswami provided the teachers with hospitality during their stay here to train the boys.”
The director says the movie is the results of three years of analysis.
Making the movie was not straightforward, says Lingadevaru. “We were inspired by the students of Kumaraswami, who wanted to see his life come alive on the screen.”
Apart from Suchendra Prasad, who performs Kumaraswmi, the remainder of the solid options native expertise and actual life seers and swamis. “They even dubbed for themselves. It was easy as they had to be themselves. I followed the same process in Nannu Avanalla Avalu, besides Sanchari Vijay the rest of the cast were actual mangalamukhis (transgenders).”
Director Lingadevaru
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The movie acquired a constructive suggestions for its music, cinematography and content material, however couldn’t be dubbed a industrial success. “We are organising special screenings for anyone who is interested in a peek at a biography and history of North Karnataka. Even if we have 50 people, we will screen the film.”
Viraatapura Viraagi is being screened throughout instructional institutes in Karnataka. The movie might be screened on March 26 as a part of BIFFes within the Asian Competition class.
