Tulu films: Time to explore potential beyond comedies Premium

Tulu film Koramma which hit the screens a month ago broke out of the “comedy template” that has been ruling the Tulu cinema industry for a decade. Directed by the national award winning director Shivadhwaj Shetty and produced by Eshwaridas Shetty and Rajeshwari Rai, the movie was released as the 133rd Tulu film on August 11, 2023.

Tulu film Koramma which hit the screens a month ago broke out of the “comedy template” that has been ruling the Tulu cinema industry for a decade. Directed by the national award winning director Shivadhwaj Shetty and produced by Eshwaridas Shetty and Rajeshwari Rai, the movie was released as the 133rd Tulu film on August 11, 2023.

A majority of the 41 Tulu films released during the first four decades (1971-2011) had themes of varied kinds. But since 2011, the focus of many films among the 92 released till August, 2023, have veered towards comedy genre due to the influence of Tulu theatre, from where the industry needs to branch out now. A handful of films did break out of the comedy template during the last decade and won State and national awards, thus showing the potential and strength of Tulu cinema.

The story of Koramma revolves around an untouchable orphan eponymously named, who grows up in the cowshed of an “upper” caste landlord in a village during the 1980s. The tenor of the film shifts when the landlord’s city-educated son returns to the village at the behest of his father. Though the bond between the father and the servant is strong, the son sees it otherwise. The story sees human values slowly transcending caste discrimination.

“It reminds us how, in India, the deep rooted evil of untouchability was not won with bloodshed, but with resilience of the entire community and with love and affection,” Shivadhwaj Shetty told The Hindu. Earlier in 2008, Tulu cinema Gaggara directed by him and produced by M. Durgananda won the national award.

Interestingly, the very first Tulu cinema Enna Tangadi (My Sister) released in Mangaluru on February 19, 1971, was not made by any person associated with Tulu language. It was made by Bengaluru-based Kannada actor, director and producer S.R. Rajan (or Sitharamu Raju).

Thamma Lakshmana, an art director associated with Tulu cinema industry, told The Hindu that Rajan who was shooting a Kannada film Aidu Beralu in Mangaluru during 1969-70 learnt that a Tulu film was being shot in Mangaluru. It was Dareda Budedi produced by K. N. Taylor and Narayana Putran. Immediately Rajan took on the Tulu project as he wanted to take the credit of producing, directing, and releasing the first-ever Tulu film. Rajan succeeded in his effort and he adopted the story of a Tulu drama Tage Tangadi, written by K. B. Bhandary, a well known Tulu and Kannada playwright. The film was released under the banner Dolly Films. Rajan completed the shooting of Aidu Beralu only later.