Director Praveen Krupakar collaborates with Mysore varsity students for film on Karnataka's Soliga tribe

Climate Change and Global Warming are two of the most important topics that are discussed in every panel session. But shouldn't we be going beyond the discussion and actually coming up with steps to reverse this? That is what Taledanda, a feature film directed by Praveen Krupakar, showcases. Praveen is the Chairman of Nireekshe Special School based in Mysuru. Though he is in the field of education, making movies that convey a social message to people has a place in his heart. He says, "I wrote this story a few years ago and was working on the screenplay. The reason behind making a movie on global warming is to tell people to save Earth for the next generation. I think that we all need to work in that direction."

What makes this film more unique is that Praveen has worked with students from the Department of Film Studies at Mysore University. "A lot of students studying in this department look for an opportunity to work on movies and bigger projects. Hence, I involved eight students from the Department of Film Studies. This not only gave them exposure but we worked together to improve the screenplay by taking in some new ideas from the youngsters." This film, released in September 2020, has a beautiful plot and Praveen has written it in connection with the tribal communities in Mysuru. The director explains, "The Soliga tribal community is one of the famous communities in the outskirts of Mysuru. The story revolves around Kunnegowda, the protagonist of the film who hails from the same community. He is specially-abled and cares for trees and the environment around him. He lives with his mother in a village called Jademada. While Kunnegowda loves spending time and interacting with the trees and birds, the story takes a turn when the government decides to fell more than 140 trees to lay a road."

He continues, "All hell breaks loose when Kunnegowda manhandles the government officer who comes to survey the land, he ends up in trouble. However, he takes a drastic step when the road laying actually begins." As we keep listening intently to know what happens next, he laughs and says, "You'll have to watch the film to know what this drastic step is that Kunnegowda has taken." Besides highlighting the effects of global warming and the need to save Mother Earth, the film also showcases some of the beautiful traditions followed by the tribal families. With a view to give an ethnic touch to the film, Praveen has included five tribal songs sung and recorded by traditional Soliga singers.