When a bunch of enthusiastic NRI Kanadigas get together to produce a Kannada film, you know it’s going to be an exhilarating ride. Suman Nagarkar-starrer Babru, which is all set to hit the screens on December 6, is shot entirely in the US and even had a grand premiere earlier this month in California. “This is the first time that any Indian film has had such a premiere in the US. In the San Francisco Bay area, we have a multiplex called Cine Lounge, where we booked all seven halls. We had housefull shows too. Also, in Folsom, where we live, we had 200 people make it to our premiere show, which is a big number in the US market. Since the film was shot in the US and many of the technicians are from there too, we wanted to make sure that we have a show for them” shares executive producer Gurudev Nagaraja.
A suspense thriller, Babru narrates the tale of two strangers who happen to meet at a place and end up realising that they speak the same language. Babru is played by a cute little Volkswagen Beetle car. “The journey is along the western United States from Mexico to Canada. The film is going to be a visual treat for audiences as apart from the usual points of interest, we’ve showed Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Redwood National Forest, the drive along the pacific ocean etc. We wanted to bring in a different perspective of the US which people may not have seen before,” reveals Gurudev.
With actors and crew members from USA, the team calls Babru the first kannada film from Hollywood. With Mahi Hiremath playing the male lead, the other cast members including Prakruthi Kashyap, Rey Tostado, Sunny Moza and Gaana Bhat and others.
As for actress Suman Nagarkar, who’s back to playing the lead after a really long break, “I came back to the screen with Ishtakamya and Jeer Jimbe. Right now, I’m very excited to share the film with everyone and I’m looking forward to having people over at theatres. It’s a mix of emotions. The industry too has been very supportive,” smiles Suman who enjoyed the journey while shooting. With music by Poornachandra Tejaswi and directed by Sujay Ramaiah, the film’s crew has covered a whopping 10,000 miles when shooting.
In a time when Kannada cinema is slowly seeing better roles for its women, Suman says, “There are some movies which do have female protagonists. I hope to see such roles for women in the industry. Even before, I was very choosy about my roles. im looking for impactful roles which people can remember cos even now people remember my older movies (Nishkarsha and Beladingala Bale).”
With the enthusiastic couple juggling often between Folsom and Bengaluru, Suman quips that it’s almost become like travelling from Majestic to Chamrajpet for the duo! Adda Gurudev, “It’s a different attempt. Kannadigas living in the US have made a film for the global audience. Supporting such projects will help other new filmmakers come up with fresh content, not just in the US but across the globe too. This will motivate KFI to get global content “
