In the film one of Purandaradasa’s disciples asks, “How do you arouse devotion while singing ‘Devranama’?” Haridasara Dinachari. Sant explains, “Focus on the lyrics and understand them, feel the emotion before you sing. Your devotion will be parallel to your passion. This is called singing with enthusiasm for the Lord.”
If this line conveys how Purandaradasa’s devotional musical sermons were directed towards social reform, inclusivity and religious harmony, the film sums them up perfectly.
Adelaide-based filmmaker Girish Nagaraja, born and raised in Bengaluru, and Kannada film director, Haridasara Dinachari Released by Karigiri Films, while addressing the audience at its launch, explained the inspiration behind his work.
a scene from the movie Haridasara Dinachari By Girish Nagaraja Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“I have attempted to write a documentary-feature account of ‘A Day in the Life of Saint-Musician Purandaradasa.’ which were actually a part of Purandaradasa’s daily routine,” Girish said, adding that the subject was close to his heart since he was a teenager.
“Being a connoisseur of Kannada literature and devotional hymns especially Haridas literatureNot only was this composition a challenge as it was my first film, but convincing classical musician Vidya Bhushan to play the role of Purandara Das was also a challenge. I’m here for any questions after the movie.
film production
In November 2023, Girish watched a video of Vidya Bhushan singing ‘Jagadhodharna’ with his friend Madhusudan Jayaram. “I was so impressed by his performance that I wanted to film him singing it. With my friend’s encouragement, I imagined a cinematic story in which Purandara wrote the song for Lord Krishna at the Dodda Malur temple, and that’s how the bhajan came into reality.
The film, says Girish, is framed as ‘a day in the life of Purandaradasa’ at the Malur temple, where he is said to have rested on his way to meet his guru Vyasatirtharu, who was then the ruler of Dodda Malur. Was in Abburu nearby. ,Haridasara Dinachari Reflects the religious and musical lifestyle of Purandar as well as his principles of life, spirituality and social justice.
a scene from the movie Haridasara Dinachari By Girish Nagaraja Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
According to Vidya Bhushan, Girish’s proposal came as a shock, and he says he shrugged it off by saying, “I am a singer, not an actor.” It was Girish’s determined efforts and a script equipped with “more songs and minimal dialogue than conveying the story” that prompted Vidya Bhushan to reluctantly agree.
Following the positive response the film received, Vidya Bhushan says, “What I enjoyed most was the selection of 18 musical performances (nine Ugabhoga and nine songs), which are some of the rarest of Purandaradasa’s treasures of 4.75 lakh compositions.”
From the first frame, slave literature (songs of slaves) and others Namasankirtanae (Devotional songs) attract the audience. The docu-feature begins with a set of sketches made by Ghanshyam KV, which appear later in the film, even as Narayan Sharma’s evocative rendition of ‘Dashrendaare Purandaradasarayya’ plays in the background.
a scene from the movie Haridasara Dinachari By Girish Nagaraja Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Girish says, Vidya Bhushan sang all the songs written by Purandara Das. However, first, because it was an introduction to Purandaradasa composed by his guru Vyasatirtha, we had young musician Narayan Sharma sing it in Kambodhi (a Carnatic raga).
Girish spoke highly of Hari Raju M, a 27-year-old cinematographer who graduated from the Chennai Cinematography Institute. His aerial view of Hampi and sunrise over calm waters, depicting Purandara and his Disciple Dodda for morning prayers at Malur temple, received praise and went viral on social media.
overcoming obstacles
One of the challenges Girish faced during the creation of his year-long project was getting the right looking tanpura. “Purandara was 15 years oldth Saint reformer of the century and it is said that his tanpura was unique which he designed. Getting an authentic looking replica was not an easy task – Vidya Bhushan rejected 18 tanpuras. Ultimately, two days before the shoot, he asked us to reach out to the Dasaiya community near Chamarajanagar, who used similar equipment for worship. After his approval, the tanpura was made overnight.”
a scene from the movie Haridasara Dinachari By Girish Nagaraja Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
As far as shooting locations are concerned, the team looked for temples that have retained their ancient identity. “Even Dodda Malur, the main base of our film, now has roads, lamp posts and renovated walls. We shot at Kere-Tondanoor near Melkote, where the rural ambience of this temple and its stone corridors resembled that of ancient times. We obtained permission to stay at the archaeological sites of Melkote, Srirangapatna and Karighatta. We shot the Kaveri river from vantage points as the Kanwa river has now turned into a thin stream. Most of the Agrahara scenes were shot at the Dakshina Chitra Heritage Museum in Chennai.
Next in the pipeline for Sanskrit scholar and philosopher Girish is Bannanje Govindacharya’s magnum opus Ramayana.
how it all started
Girish is the son of classical singers Nagaraja and Shantha and the grandson of Pattabhiramachar, one of five siblings of Prabhat theater professionals – Venkanna, Subbannachar, Pranesachar and Venugopal – who were also renowned Harikatha scholars. The Prabhat lineage tree is also related to the Purandar lineage.
a scene from the movie Haridasara Dinachari By Girish Nagaraja Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“For my post graduation, I took admission in film writing and direction course at Bangalore Film Institute. At that time, Kunigal Nagabhushan Rao was part of the faculty and trained me in the nuances of screenplay and dialogue.
With a master’s degree in Biotechnology from MS Ramaiah College, Girish worked in the field of environmental protection and sustainability. For the last 18 years he has been living in Australia where he obtained a Masters in Natural History Film Making as well as an MBA in Marketing Tourism from Flinders University in Adelaide.
“Seeds of slave literature Were sown in my childhood. “My father never missed an opportunity to explain the values embedded in these songs and encouraged me to sing in his own style to improve my musical understanding,” says Girish.
Since 2010, Girish regularly organizes open-air road shows slave literature And singing for Nagar Sankirtane in Australia.
Haridasara Dinachari Currently running in theaters
published – January 08, 2025 06:03 PM IST
