If Salman Khan’s Sultan and all those wresting moves of his have been on people’s minds, here’s a film in Kannada that’s centred around the sport of wrestling.
Bablusha is a period film, set in the times of Karnataka’s famed Vijayanagara Empire — a golden age of prosperity, wealth and knowledge. “But there were bad times too during that period, and that is what my film Bablusha talks about, and goes back in time over 500 years,” says the film’s story/screenplay writer and director Venkat Bharadwaj.
Venkat, who works in an IT Company as a sales head saved up about 22 days leave; the film was shot in 23 days! The film is set for release in July.
He’s an example of the rising breed of techies and people in Bengaluru’s booming IT industry, with a passion for cinema and with free weekends on hand to make films. Venkat’s first film A Day in The City ( Nagaradalli Ondu Dina ) dealt with urban water problems. The enterprising Venkat not only managed to screen the film at multiplexes but also on board airlines as part of in-flight entertainment. After seeing this film, about seven people came forward to fund his next film, and that’s how Bablusha got funded, he says. In fact, because a large number of these producers are from the U.S.A., they are also looking to release the film in America!
Venkat auditioned over 480 people who were over six feet tall to settle on his three main characters. These people then underwent training in kusti under Supreme Subbu, a 55 year old kusti master, he explains.
The lead pair of the film are Harsh Arjun and Mridula Bhaskar.
It’s not easy to find a market and audience for a period film, then why make one? “I believe that content is king. That’s why. People will see it for the story.”
The film has been shot in Malavalli, Ramnagara, Kanakapura and on sets put up in the village of Mallinathapura. “People of the village turned art directors, and would give us suggestions as to how the set must look, to be more authentic!” he muses.
The film features four songs — one themed on kusti, another on traditional games like alagulimane and how they help children learn maths!
And Bablusha? What does it mean? Is that a real character? “You have to see the film to figure that out…I’m not revealing more,” he signs off.
