After experimenting with films on the life of Dr BR Ambedkar, the Kannada film industry has for the first time focussed its attention on the life of Ramabai, Ambedkar’s wife, who supported him immensely in his work.
The Kannada film Ramabai will be released today in honour of the 125th birth anniversary of the Dalit icon. It is the second film on Ambedkar’s wife; noted filmmaker Prakash Jadhav had directed Ramabai Bheemarao Ambedkar in 2011.
Yajna Shetty plays Ramabai and Siddaram Karnik plays Ambedkar. Incidentally, Ramabai is a famous play in north Karnataka, based on Siddaram Karnik’s work. It also helps that Karnik resembles Ambedkar, and people have always identified him with the legendary Dalit leader.
The film was written and directed by M Ranganath, Ramabai is produced by Y Srinivas, with camerawork by Gurudutt Musuri, K Kalyan’s music, and art direction by Rajgopal.
The biopic is based on elaborate research by Siddaram Karnik, who holds a doctorate on the subject. “We have shot the film in Dharwad and Karwar, where Ambedkar spent some time,” Srinivas says. It was Ramabai’s grit and determination that motivated him to make a film on her.
