In Ilaiyaraaja’s raga ‘Naguva Nayana’ from Mani Ratnam’s first film Pallavi Anu Pallavi, We see views of the iconic sites of Bengaluru (then Bengaluru). The lead pair in the 1983 Kannada film, played by Anil Kapoor and Kiran Vairale, stroll on MG Road and spend their evening at Cubbon Park. Incidentally, the cinematographer of Pallavi Anu Pallavi, Was Made his directorial debut with nightingale (1977), A film set in Bengaluru. The legendary filmmaker had a special love for the city, with many of his films featuring scenes featuring a large stone inside Cubbon Park.
For decades, films have given the city its identity as an entertainment hub for outsiders. The iconic locations of Bengaluru have inspired filmmakers to imagine stories and songs around them.
Aura of Vidhana Soudha
In the early 1990s, the Vidhan Soudha – an architectural marvel that houses the state secretariat and legislature – was a favorite venue for Bollywood songs. In coolie number 1 (1995), Govinda and Karisma Kapoor are dancing on the stairs of Vidhan Soudh in the song ‘Main To Raste Se Ja Raha Tha’. In Vijaypath (1994), Tabu and Ajay Devgan dancing in front of a magnificent building. Even in a more serious story like Utsav Gonwar’s indie Kannada film picture– which talks about migrant migration during the pandemic – A 10-year-old boy from Raichur goes to Bengaluru to click a photo in front of Vidhana Soudha.
Anjali Menon’s hit too bangalore days (2014) showcase Bengaluru as an exotic destination. Driven by an ensemble cast (Fahadh Faasil, Dulquer Salmaan, Nazriya Nazim, Nivin Pauly and Parvathy Thiruvothu), the film continues to resonate with the city’s growing population of Malayalees who move to Bengaluru for employment opportunities and a home away from home. Let’s search. Home.
A scene from ‘Bangalore Days’.
glamor and underbelly
However, a local, middle-class Bengaluru resident watching the film today might feel that bangalore days Not so reliable, since he grew up in a different cultural ethnicity. In this sense, Rupa Rao’s Gantumute (2019) is a beautiful ode to the good old, cool charm of 90s Bengaluru. The coming-of-age story of a high-school teen is a nostalgic journey through the city’s quiet gems, like the City Central Library and the BMTC bus stop, which double up as meeting places for lovers.
Also read:Malayalam cinema started with Bangalore
except Gantumute, Another film in which Bengaluru played an important role was Pawan Kumar’s U turn (2016). Based on an incident that occurred on a double road flyover, the film addressed one of the city’s biggest problems: the dangers of taking illegal U-turns to avoid traffic.
Some evergreen songs address the rapid growth of Bengaluru, but it is surprising that the city’s growth has not interested Kannada filmmakers in making relevant social dramas. Nagathihalli in Chandrasekhar’s classic America America (1997), The song ‘Hegide Naam Desha’ takes a dig at the city’s traffic menace and compares the BDA site rates to be much higher than the Empire State Building in the US.
A scene from ‘Gantumute’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The great S Siddalingaiah looked at Bengaluru from the perspective of a rural Kannadiga migrant. In mayor muthanna (1969), An honest villager (Dr. Rajkumar) comes to town, and circumstances make him the mayor of Bengaluru. His dorada betta (1973), again starring Rajkumar, depicts a rural man’s challenge to adjust to the big and glamorous city. at the director’s place too ba nanna prethisu (1992), The song ‘Cempegoudre’ is a conversation of the protagonist with the historical figure who founded the city, with one line comparing the growth of the city to Hanuman’s tail.
Also read:Remembering S Siddalingaiah, who was destined to direct
The idea of ​​a rural Kannadiga being lost in the city is also seen in the film Lachwa, which was part of Katha Sangam (2019), A compilation. In the heart-warming film, a woman from a town in northern Karnataka wanders the streets of Bengaluru without a clue as to how to get back home as she mistakes Banaswadi for Basavanagudi. The film rings true as a South Bengaluru resident can feel isolated in the desolate Whitefield area, known for its low local population.
underworld diaries
In the 2000s, innocent rural men in Kannada films began to fall into the trap of the Bengaluru underworld, starting with Prem’s blockbuster film. Saint (2004), HereShivarajkumar plays an innocent villager who comes to Bengaluru to earn enough money to buy a pair of gold bangles for his mother. However, a series of events cause him to become a dangerous don.
Shivrajkumar in ‘Jogi’.
Suri’s neo-noir films (Jackie, Kaddipudi) Are set against the dark underbelly of Bengaluru. He debuted with World (2007), in which an innocent man working in a stone quarry moves to the city to earn money and build a memorial for his mother. Fate brings him to Srirampura, once home to dreaded gangsters and organized crimes. For some time, the underworld history of Bengaluru became a hot topic in Sandalwood, thanks largely to Agni Sridhar’s three-part book. Dadagiriya Dinagalu (My days in the underworld: the rise of the Bangalore mafia). Aa Dinagalu (2007), Based on Sridhar’s books, it was a gripping reflection of Bengaluru in the 1980s when gangsters like MP Jayaraj and Kotwal Ramachandra ruled the city’s underworld. edegarica (2012), Based on Sridhar’s story of the same name, was another well-made gangster film. With the help of proper world-building, these films were a reflection of the city at that time.
soul of bengaluru
The spirit of Bengaluru is lacking in Kannada films today. The themes of mass migration, start-up culture and infrastructure issues can become relevant social dramas, if only filmmakers are able to weave compelling stories around them. best effort on that Chilli Chicken (2023). The film was a compassionate presentation of expatriate life in the city without insulting the locals.
After the immense success of Yograj Bhatt, perhaps there was some change in the Kannada film industry. mungaru male (2006) And Gaalipata (2008). In both films, a hero (Ganesh) from Bengaluru moves out of the city to a picturesque town in search of love. In Galipata, The protagonist talks about being bored with the city’s tall buildings, nightlife and traffic and urges his friend to plan a trip to a foreign place. Both films led to a series of visually appealing films, proving how filmmakers had overlooked Bengaluru in an effort to explore never-before-seen locations across Karnataka.
In the era of pan-Indian films and period dramas, a Bengaluru-centric film seems far-fetched. of Sindhu Srinivas Murthy Achar & Company (2023) was a welcome change. The gentle drama depicts the life of a conservative family in Jayanagar in the 70s. In a farcical scene, a girl refuses to marry a boy because he lives in Kamanahalli, which was on the outskirts of Bengaluru at that time. Today, Kamanahalli is an hour’s drive from Jaynagar, traffic permitting!
Sindhu Srinivas Murthy in ‘Aachar & Company’. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The ongoing feud between Hindi and Kannada in Bengaluru could be an interesting idea for filmmakers looking to show the city from today’s perspective. It’s an age-old conflict, beautifully described in one scene Professor Huchuraya (1974), where the Kannada-speaking protagonist asks about what is written on a board in Bengaluru and gets answers in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil. This metropolitan city has never had a single identity. The beauty of Bengaluru lies in many worlds, and much is still to be seen on the big screen.
published – January 03, 2025 01:25 PM IST
