SHIVAMOGGA: It will be Kannada’s own Lagaan. The rebellion against the British rule at Esuru village in Shikaripur taluk – an exciting episode in the history of freedom movement in Karnataka – will soon be in cinemas. Esuru has the legacy of being the first village to be declared independent in the country!
In 1942, Esuru residents refused to pay land revenue as agriculture yield had declined that year due to a natural calamity. When the British employed intimidating tactics, people offered stiff resistance and fought pitched battles with the police.
The villagers barred British officials from entering Esuru and hoisted the Tricolour from the top of Veerabhadreshwara Temple on September 29, 1942, and declared the village “free” of British rule. A large posse of police force sent by the British government a few days later to reclaim the village indulged in arson and looting. A revenue officer and a police officer were killed as the villagers fought with the law enforcers.
Over 50 freedom fighters, who had fled to the nearby forest, were arrested over the next few days. K. Gurappa, Mallappa, Suryanarayanachar, Halappa and Shankarappa, who led freedom fighters, were martyred on March 8, 9, and 10 of 1943, respectively.
A poster of the Kannada movie Esuru Dange - 1942
Even Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose spoke highly of the spirit of patriotism among Esuru residents. Basavaraj Vaibhav, a videographer from Shikaripur, is directing the movie in which Shivarajkumar is playing the role of a freedom fighter. After 'Hagaluvesha', directed by writer Baragur Ramachandrappa, this is Shivarajkumar’s second movie on freedom struggle. Vaibhav referred to the interviews of freedom fighters from the village that were broadcast by Akashvani, Bhadravathi, the ballads that were composed and sung in the surrounding villages and many history books, while working on the screenplay.
The shooting will begin in January. Vaibhav told Deccan Chronicle that the movie will be titled Esuru Dange – 1942 (Esuru Mutiny) and he has been working on the screenplay since January 2014. Vaibhav interacted with Shivarajkumar’s wife Geetha, who was the JD(S) candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from Shivamogga, while she was campaigning in Esuru.
She showed interest in the project and promised to convince her husband to act in the movie. Actor Suchendra Prasad will also feature in the film. Mr H.T. Baligar, a bureaucrat-turned-politician, will be the producer. “It will neither be an art nor a commercial venture, but a bridge film that can be enjoyed and appreciated by all,” he said, adding that the film will be shot in and around Esuru, Gaama, Arishinagere, and Balligavi villages in Shikaripur taluk.
