Govt. funds biopic on Devaraj Urs to mark his centenary year

T.S. Nagabharana asked to direct the film with an estimated budget of Rs. 3 crore

T.S. Nagabharana

In a first for the Karnataka government, the Siddaramaiah dispensation is all set to produce a film. To mark the birth centenary of the former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs, who is regarded as the architect of land reforms in the State, the government is producing a full-length feature film on him.

Renowned film-maker T.S. Nagabharana has been asked to direct the film with an estimated budget of Rs. 3 crore, according to Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya.

Noting that Mr. Nagabharana has been given creative freedom in all sections of the film-making, including the script, Mr. Anjaneya said the focus would be on the social and economic policies ushered in by Urs for the uplift of the underprivileged.

“The intention of making this film is to create awareness among the people on the factors that made Urs to implement the historic Karnataka Land Reforms Act in 1970 and set up the Backward Classes Welfare Department. The film is likely to be released across the State by the year-end,” he said.

Mr. Nagabharana, who is giving final touches to his biopic on Allama Prabhu, the 12th century poet and social reformer, is scripting the film on Urs.

‘Script being fine tuned’

He told The Hindu that he got the offer from the government two weeks ago and had not received an official communication so far. He, however, was in the process of fine-tuning the script, which would be completed in the next one month. To provide accurate socio-historical perspective, he was doing research on the life and social contribution of Urs. “Writers, including Prathibha Nandakumar, K.Y. Narayanaswamy and Sreedharamurthy will help in finalising the script,” he said.

Noting that he wanted to complete the film before the centenary year ends, Mr. Nagabharana said: “It will be a marathon task to complete the film in a tight schedule, and I am planning to use two or three units of cameras. But everything depends on the budget and the star cast.”

Mr. Nagabharana had interacted with Urs while working with film-maker Chaduranga. “I’m really elated to make a film on him, as he is not limited to one political party. He is one of the few leaders in Karnataka who earned the goodwill and respect of leaders cutting across party lines for the policies that became the bedrock of social justice in Karnataka,” he said, and added that he was focussing on the human elements, besides the political career of Urs.