Ananya Kasaravalli has announced her directorial debut with the feature film Beladi Harishchandra , and with this, the entire Kasaravalli family is now involved in filmmaking.
While her father, Girish Kasaravalli, is one of the pioneers of parallel cinema and has won several national and international awards, Ananya’s late mother Vyshali Kasaravalli was a renowned actor, costume designer and tele-serial director.
Her brother Apoorva Kasarvalli is directing Niruttara , his debut film starring Rahul Bose.
Ananya is all set to make her debut now with Beladi Harischandra . The film, based on short story Harikatha Prasanga by writer Gopalakrishna Pai, is being produced by Basanth Kumar Patil, who has made many award-winning films in Kannada.
Ananya told The Hindu that shooting would commence from Gandhi Jayanti day and a few places near Kundapura and Udupi are the locations. “I was inspired by story of Gopalakrishna Pai published in special Deepavali edition of a monthly magazine,” she said.
The story is about a Yaskhagana artiste who is a streepatradhaari (man who dons role of woman). “I researched on this subject for nearly a year to make the film authentic. I even spent time in a Yakshagana centre in Udupi. There will be many new faces in the film, besides experienced actors such as K.G. Krishnamurthy and Champa Shetty,” she added.
Udipt Khurana, her classmate in L.V. Prasad Film and Television Academy, Chennai, who assisted Ananya in her documentary and telefilms, will be the cinematographer for this film, and Mohan Kamakshi the editor.
Incidentally, Ananya had made two telefilms and two documentaries, including Kappu Kallina Saitana and Vasiyatnama based on short stories by Bolwar Mahamad Kunhi and Saadat Hasan Manto.
Kapplu Kallina Saitana has won the best short film award in the students’ category at the Pune International Film Festival, and was screened at various films festivals.
Asked if her father helped her, she said: “Yes of course. I take guidance of my father. I hope, he will be with me while I shoot the film. In fact, he is the script advisor for the film.”
She added that though all members of her family are filmmakers, each of them has her/his own space.
Ananya will be another addition to league of women filmmakers in a male-dominated domain in Kannada cinema.
It was Prema Karanth who took up megaphone through Phaniyamma in 80s. She was followed by Kavitha Lankesh ( Deveeri ), Vijayalakshmi Singh ( Ee Bandhana ), Suman Kittur ( Slum Bala ), Roopa Iyer ( Mukhaputa ) and Priya Belliyappa ( Ring Road Suma ).
The film, based on short story ‘Harikatha Prasanga’ by writer Gopalakrishna Pai, is being produced by Basanth Kumar Patil
