‘Katheyondu Shuruvagida’, a Kannada romantic drama

Director Senna Hegde caught people’s eye with the trailer of his debut Malayalam film 0-41* and after Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap’s appreciated the film, it went viral. A story of two volley ball teams travelling to various film festivals, the movie is still awaiting release. But that has not deterred Hegde from moving on and making his next film.

Titled Katheyondu Shuruvagida, this romantic drama in Kannada features Diganth and Pooja Devariya (of Tamil film Iraivi fame) in the lead.

Diganth plays Tarun, a resort owner who is going through a bad patch because of financial woes.

“His personal life is in a mess, too,” said Hegde. “When Tanya, a young woman enters the resort as a guest, a chemistry strikes between the two.”

Hegde shot the film over thirty days using two cameras and sync sound. The story that happens over four days is split into three segments and explores relationships of three different couples.

While the main story is centred around Tarun and Tanya, it also dwells on two other relationships — that of a married couple in their 60s who after thirty years look back on their lives and of a young pair in their 20s. The supporting cast includes Babu Hirannaiah, Aruna Balaraj, Prakash K Thuminadu, Ashwin Rao Pallakki and Shreya Anchan.

Hegde, after working in the US as a business analyst for four years, moved to the Middle East where he worked for eight years as a creative director in an advertising firm. Driven by a passion for films he took the plunge into direction.

“It was on a whim that I made 0-41* with a team of people from my neighbourhood who had never faced the camera before,” recalled Hegde.

Katheyondu Shuruvagida is releasing in the UAE on July 26.