One of the prominent women directors in the Kannada film industry, Vijayalakshmi Singh, is all set to launch another directorial venture. This time around, Vijalayalakshmi is making a film Yana for her three daughters — Vaibhavi, Vainidhi, and Vaisiri. It’s an out and out family venture, as her husband, noted actor Jai Jagadish is producing this film! Vijayalakshmi Singh is the daughter of yesteryear filmmaker Shankar Singh and actress Prathima Devi. Her brother is popular filmmaker S.V. Rajendra Singh Babu. Prathima Devi in fact starred in the lead role in Jaganmohini (1951) the first Kannada film to complete 100 days in a theatre.
Vijayalakshmi Singh has earlier directed Ee Bandhana, Male Barali Manju Irali, and Varevah. Her last venture Sweety Nanna Jodi starred Radhika Kumaraswamy, and Aditya, Rajendra Singh Babu’s son. She has produced as many as eight films and acted in several. Yana is said to be the first film in the history of Kannada cinema, being directed by a mother for her daughters and produced by the father. The film was launched this week. The film traces a journey, which starts from Bengaluru and ends in Goa. Dialogues of the film are being penned by Suni of Simpallag Ond Love Story fame, and Joshua Sridhar is scoring the music.
Acting comes naturally to her daughters, says Vijayalakshmi. Moreover, the script needed untrained actors, she stresses. “However, they are apprehensive, as they are facing the camera for the first time,” added the proud mother. “We are introducing three heroines at a time when the Kannada film industry is claiming to have a dearth of female leads and talented girls,” she said, making a strong point about this issue that has been bothering the industry.
“I started scripting the film some two years ago, keeping three teenage girls in mind. But, I had not told them then that they would act. They got involved in developing the script. Finally, only eight months ago, I revealed that they would essay these lead roles,” said Vijayalakshmi.
And the male leads? “We are introducing three new faces.”
Vaibhavi says “We grew up in an atmosphere filled with cinema and it will not really be difficult to act with our father and mother guiding us.”
