At around 1 a.m. some time last year, a pregnant worker in the coffee estate of Kallichanda Deena Uthappa went into labour and had to be rushed to the nearest hospital. The hospital in south Kodagu directed them to another one in Virajpet, from where they were again directed to a hospital in Madikeri. A landslide had cut off road access to the capital of the district. Finally they had to make their way to a hospital in Mysuru where the delivery took place. Fortunately, everything ended well.
This forms the crux of Balra Nadel , a short film in Kodava language, which was released online on July 8 and has had over 5,000 views since. Made by Uthappa and Thadiyangada Gana Somanna, both home-makers from Tavalageri village in Srimangala, south Kodagu, the film draws from the real life story to start a campaign for a multi-speciality hospital in the hilly district.
Once they approached a few reputed actors from the community, everything started to fall in place. The cast volunteered to take time out to work on the film, and they roped in a Mysuru-based media house to helm the technical work. The shoot, which commenced at 3 a.m., was wrapped up in 10 hours on July 3. The entire film, less than 10 minutes in duration, was made on a budget of around ₹45,000.
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The story, which has English subtitles, follows the struggle of a fictional young woman, Cauvery, and her aged mother. After the mother suffers a heart attack, Cauvery and her neighbour go hunting for a hospital, each turning them away for lack of doctors or equipment. By the time they are directed to Mysuru from Madikeri as there is a landslide, Cauvery’s mother dies.
Ms. Somanna said the purpose of the film was to point out the need for a well-equipped medical facility in the district. “There is no dearth of government hospitals. But we are arguing for their improvement. They should have infrastructure and know-how to tackle emergencies instead of directing people to other places. What if a person does not have transport and is in urgent need of medical care? We have heard many scary stories of people’s struggle for medical aid. Our aim is not to target any hospital, but to highlight an issue,” she said.