DD Chandana launches daily serial based on Kumvee’s acclaimed novel ‘Aramane’

Kum. Veerabhadrappa’s acclaimed novel Aramane has been adapted into a television serial. Kannada channel DD Chandana (Doordarshan) has launched the serial with the same name. National Award-winning filmmaker Mansore is the director behind the project,

Kum. Veerabhadrappa’s acclaimed novel Aramane has been adapted into a television serial. Kannada channel DD Chandana (Doordarshan) has launched the serial with the same name. National Award-winning filmmaker Mansore is the director behind the project, with theatre veteran B. Jayashree essaying a prominent role.

The serial marks the return of a well-known literary adaptation in DD Chandana. In the past, Girish Karnad had helmed screen adaptations of Poornachandra Tejaswi’s Chidambara Rahasya, Shantinath Desai’s Om Namo and Devanur Mahadeva’s Kusumabale as serials on DD Chandana.

“I see Aramane as one of the rarest experiments in Kannada literature,” Mansore told The Hindu. The Nathicharami (2018) director said DD Chandana had invited National Award-winning filmmakers to pitch novels that could be adapted to the small screen. “A committee was formed to review the applications, and it approved my interest to make Aramane into a daily tele-serial,” he said.

Aramane is a historical novel set in colonial Ballari featuring British administrator Thomas Munro. Highlighting the struggles of marginalised voices, the novel is hailed for its realistic depiction of 19th-century rural society. Kum. Veerabhadrappa, popularly known as Kumvee, explores the life, culture, and conflicts of the working class. Set around Ballari district, Aramane blends folklore with British-era modernisation.

“During my discussions with Mansore, I told the director to try and make the serial closer to reality,” Kumvee told The Hindu. “It’s an epic story with elements of magic realism. So, it will be challenging for the makers to adapt as it is. They might have to make some compromises, but the idea is to tell a story in an engaging fashion.”

Mansore echoes Kumvee’s thoughts, saying his aim is to connect with the masses without diluting the essence of the novel. “It’s a 700-page, complex novel. It mixes history, mythology, and fiction. We have tried to simplify the storyline by splitting it into multiple tracks and focusing on the main characters.”