Daali Dhananjaya, Dinakar Thoogudeepa, and Pavan Kumar Wadeyar launched the teaser of the upcoming Kannada film ‘Kerebete’.
Team 'Kerebete' at the teaser launch. (Supplied)
Blockbuster Kannada film Kantara (2022), the recent sensational hit Kaatera (2023), and the forthcoming movie Kerebete have one thing in common — native stories that celebrate the local cultures of the land.
Kantara brilliantly showcased the conflict between humans and nature against the backdrop of traditional cultures of coastal Karnataka like “Kambala”, “Daiva“, and “Bhootha Aradhane”.
Challenging Star Darshan’s Kaatera focused on the farmers’ plight and showcased certain traditional rituals followed back in the day for the welfare of the people and the land they live in.
Similarly, actor Gowrishankar’s Kerebete revolves around Kere Bete, the annual traditional fishing festival that takes place during summer in the Malnad region of Karnataka.
On Wednesday, 3 January, Kannada star actor Dhananjaya released the teaser of Kerebete. The film marks the return of Gowrishankar, who was last seen in Rajahamsa (2017).
The natives of Malnad region. (Supplied)
“Though I hail from central Karnataka (Bayalu Seeme), I am not aware of the Kere Bete folk sport. I’m glad that native stories deeply rooted in our cultures are now being showcased through cinema,” said Dhananjaya.
He added, “More such stories, which most of us are not aware of, should be made in the coming days to celebrate the vibrant culture and traditions of our land.”
Darshan’s director-brother Dinakar Thoogudeepa revealed that he watched the film Kerebete, and lauded its makers for adapting the village culture to perfection.
“Gowrishankar and I started our journey in the film industry as assistant directors to noted filmmaker MS Rajshekhar sir in 2000. Gowrishankar showed the film to me. He planned it during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dinakar recalled.
Dozens of local natives from the Malnad region showcased their folk sport at the teaser launch event organised on the banks of the Mallathalli Lake in Bengaluru.
The native people of Malnad region with team ‘Kerebete’. (Supplied)
As a part of an enduring tradition in the Malnad region, villagers from the nearby areas gather to engage in fishing activity at the lake.
Using a spring-shaped catching tool called “kuni” with one side open, they submerge it into the water from various points along the lake’s edge.
The competitors then advance with rhythmic noises, and upon catching a fish, they extract it from the “kuni” and place it in a bag carried on their shoulders. The participant with the most catches is declared the winner.
The event organisers cultivate fish in the lakes for this occasion, charging a nominal fee for competitors. Thousands enthusiastically participate in this annual fest.
Besides the issues faced by farmers in the late 1970s, the traditional culture of “Holemari” formed the epicentre of Kaatera. The Kannada film also showed the divide between the rich and the poor and the caste system.
Jadesh Hampi, who wrote the story of Kaatera, recently shared that he penned the script based on the “Holemari” traditions in his village.
When animal sacrifice was practised with no legal bar, an animal (buffalo) was sacrificed during the village fair every year. The challenge involved smearing the blood of the sacrificed animal on one’s hand and successfully reaching their village.
The consequence was the transfer of significant decision-making authority to that specific village until the emergence of another successful challenger the following year.
Likewise, “Kere Bete” is one of those numerous traditions that is still in vogue in the Malnad region.
Team ‘Kerebete’ promoting the film. (Supplied)
Popular Kannada director Pavan Wadeyar, who was present at Kerebete teaser launch, praised the efforts of making movies based on subjects that are connected to audiences globally.
“Kantara is the best example of it. Rajguru, who directed Kerebete, worked with me as an assistant director in almost all films — since Googly (2013). Most traditions are not mere sports or rituals but even the best art forms. Catching fish has many things attached to it, including life lessons,” he observed.
Raja Huli (2013) director Guru Deshpande noted that people always appreciate stories closely connected to their lives and native traditional cultures. Hence, many experiments successfully connected us to global audiences in the recent past.
Kerebete, presently in its post-production stage, will hit the screens shortly. It features Gowrishankar, newcomer Bindu Shivaram, Gopal Deshpande, Sampath and Hairini in the lead.
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