When three friends meet...

When three friends meet after 30 years in a cafe they once frequented, there could be many revelations. ‘Kudla Cafe’, a Tulu film which was recently screened at a film festival in the City, looks at what these revelations are, says Surya Menon, the director of the film.

Surya, who calls his movie a tribute to friendship, observes that most of the film is inspired by his childhood and circle of friends. He points out that every character in the film is distinct and peculiar. “There are three main characters in the film. If one guy is loud and so full of himself, another is arrogant. The third is a good-hearted man who gets pushed around because he’s too calm and can’t react or even hurt a fly,” he says.

Surya says that the friends meeting at the Cafe come to know that it has been mortgaged with a vicious loan shark who wants to demolish the 50-year-old structure. “Will the friends be able to put aside their differences and work together to save something so special from their past? This is the twist in the tale. The friends will have to set aside their egos and get down to work on a plan where they can save the Cafe that they once loved and where they’ve shared a lot of warm memories,” he adds.

Another character in the film that calls for a special mention is a female character who also happens to be the coach of a kabaddi team. “Kabaddi forms a big part of her life and the movie traces how she battles all odds to fulfill her dream and emerge victorious in a sport she loves so much,” he adds.   

The cast has Naveen D Padil, Jyotish Shetty, Raghu Pandeshwar, Shine Shetty and Aahana Kumra playing prominent roles. It is produced by Ranjan Shetty and Surya Menon. All actors were chosen after a lot of thought. “The actors are all simple-looking with nothing glamorous or unbelievable about them. This is an advantage because people will be able to relate to them better,” he adds.