Finding Bengaluru in Kannada cinema Premium

Films from several decades have interpreted Bengaluru in different ways. However, with the emergence of the pan-India movement and the popularity of period dramas, stories set at the heart of Bengaluru have been few and far in Kannada cinema since the last decade

In Ilaiyaraja’s melody ‘Naguva nayana’ from Mani Ratnam’s debut Pallavi Anu Pallavi, we see visuals of the iconic landmarks of Bengaluru (then Bangalore). The lead pair in the 1983 Kannada film, essayed by Anil Kapoor and Kiran Vairale, stroll on the MG Road and spend their evening in Cubbon Park. Incidentally, Balu Mahendra, the cinematographer of Pallavi Anu Pallavi, had made his directorial debut with Kokila (1977), a film set in Bengaluru. The legendary filmmaker had a special love for the city, with several of his films having scenes showcasing a large boulder inside Cubbon Park.

For decades together, films have given the city an identity of a recreational hub for outsiders. Bengaluru’s iconic places have inspired filmmakers to imagine stories and songs set in and around them.

In the early 1990s, the Vidhana Soudha — an architectural marvel that houses the state’s secretariat and legislature — was a favourite destination for Bollywood songs. In Coolie No.1 (1995), the song ‘Main toh raste se ja raha tha’ has Govinda and Karisma Kapoor dancing on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha. In Vijaypath (1994), Tabu and Ajay Devgn shake a leg in front of the stunning building. Even in a much more serious story like Utsav Gonwar’s indie Kannada movie Photo— which talks about the migrant exodus during the pandemic — a 10-year-old from Raichur goes to Bengaluru to click a photo in front of the Vidhana Soudha.

Even Anjali Menon’s hit Bangalore Days (2014) showcases Bengaluru as an exotic destination. The film, powered by an ensemble cast (Fahadh Faasil, Dulquer Salmaan, Nazriya Nazim, Nivin Pauly, and Parvathi Thiruvothu), continues to resonate with the city’s burgeoning population of Malayalis, who move to Bengaluru for employment opportunities and discover a home away from home.

However, a local, middle-class Bengalurean watching the film today might find Bangalore Days not so relatable, for he or she grew up in a different cultural ethnicity. In that sense, Roopa Rao’s Gantumoote (2019) is a beautiful ode to the good old, laidback charm of the Bengaluru of the 90s. The coming-of-age story of a high-school teenager is a nostalgic trip to the city’s quiet gems, such as the City Central Library and the BMTC bus stops that doubled up as meet-up spots for lovers.

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Apart from Gantumoote, another film which had Bengaluru as an important character in its story was Pawan Kumar’s U Turn (2016). Based on an incident that takes place on the Double Road flyover, the film addressed the perils of taking illegal U-turns to avoid one of the city’s biggest problems: traffic.