SHG members fund a film on their lives

I hope it inspires youth to take up agriculture: Veerendra Heggade

Skanda Ashok and Sonu Gowda, lead actors of Kaanorayana by T.S. Nagabharana at the muhurat shot in Dharmasthala on Friday. Mr. Nagabharana’s wife Nagini Bharna (third from left), Srikshetra Dharmastala Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade’s brother Harshendra Kumar (third from right) and Mr. Nagabharna’s son Pannaga Bharna (second from right) are seen.

Four decades ago, five lakh milk farmers from Gujarat contributed ₹ 2 each for Shyam Benegal’s pioneering film, Manthan, on the transformation in their lives because of the White Revolution.

A similar effort is under way in the State with 20 lakh members, mostly women, of self-help groups (SHG) contributing money for a film that is based on their lives.

Each SHG member has contributed ₹ 20 for the ₹ 5-crore Kaanoorayana by T.S. Nagabharana, based on women empowerment and rural uplift achieved through Shri Kshetra Dharmastala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), a charitable trust established in 1982. Operating out of the pilgrim centre in Dakshina Kannada, it is promoted by D. Veerendra Heggade, trustee of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala temple.

Shooting for the film began on Friday at Dharmasthala.

“We are overwhelmed that a film is being made based on our lives,” said Kusuma, treasurer of a federation of 16 self-help groups from Kalmanja village in Belthangady, associated with SKDRDP.

“We are eagerly waiting to see our film in the cinema,” added Sharada, another SHG member who has also contributed to the making of the film.

Stating that this is the second such film after Manthan, Mr. Nagabharana said that the concept of public funding goes well with the theme of the film. “Like in Manthan, the SHG members are the creators of Kaanoorayana. You see true empowerment of women in the very making of his film,” he added.

Though he has made four documentaries on the activities of SKDRDP, he said that it was a challenge to come with a storyline for the project that has impacted the rural folk in different ways.

A team of four story writers worked for six months to go through a number of case files with SKDRDP. “It is the 10th version of the story which is now being made into a film,” the director said and added that the film will delineate the way villagers from Kaanooru overcome adversity through SHGs.

“We hope the film gives to the city folk a true picture of the lifestyle in rural areas. I hope it inspires youth to take up agriculture,” said Mr. Veerendra Heggade.