Focus on preserving history as BIFFes celebrates World Kannada Cinema Day

‘Sati Sulochana’, the first Kannada talkie, was remembered in a session during the ongoing 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival

The 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) celebrated ‘World Kannada Cinema Day’ by remembering Sati Sulochana, the first Kannada talkie.

On Monday, N. Nageshwar Rao and Madhukar Rao, grandchildren of the film’s director Y.V. Rao, and Lakshmi Narasimha Shastri, grandson of the film’s writer Bellave Narahari Shastri, were present at the event.

As the speakers highlighted the film’s significance in the history of Kannada cinema, the focus fell on preserving Kannada classics. Sati Sulochana, based on Ramayana, is from the point of Sulochana, the wife of Indrajit and daughter-in-law of Ravana. Sati Sulochana is a lost film with only some photographs of the movie remaining as the proof of its existence.

Subbaiah Naidu, a doyen of Kannada cinema, starred as the lead in the movie. Actor Srujan Lokesh, grandson of Subbaiah Naidu, said there must be more initiatives from the film industry to celebrate the movie. “Remembering Sati Sulochana on March 3 every year doesn’t do justice to the film. Honouring Subbaiah Naidu through a statue or naming a road after him is the least the government can do to honour the rich history of the movie,” he said.

Actor Kishore, brand ambassador of BIFFes, said it’s important to respect historical milestones such as Sati Sulochana but the film industry must evolve to changing times, making the best and correct use of technology. “The movie was from the point of view of a woman. Today, we still talk about the impacts of a male-dominated industry. However, back then, artists stressed on representation of women in cinema,” he said.

To bring the film back on screen, Srujan Lokesh, under the banner of Lokesh Production, will make a movie on how Sati Sulochana was made, using the available trivia and information about the 1934 film.

At a press conference, it was announced that Srujan is set to play Subbaiah Naidu while National-Award winning director P. Seshadri will direct the movie.