BIFFES 2020: 'Pingara' producer Avinash Shetty feels the film offers ‘something fresh’

Producer Avinash Shetty’s Tulu movie Pingara is slated to be screened at the Bengaluru International Film Festival 2020 (BIFFES 2020) on Friday (Feb. 28) and it has created a fair deal of buzz among a section of the audience.

Speaking exclusively to DH, Shetty says that film festivals give content creators a platform for showcasing "content-oriented films".

“Events likes BIFFES help producers showcase their work and connect with film lovers. Also, Pingara got censored right at the end of December 2019, which prompted me to participate in the event,” he says.

Speaking about the challenges associated with making a Tulu movie, the Aa Karala Ratri producer says that the market is quite small as the language is spoken mainly in the Mangaluru region.

"The Tulu industry mainly has around 13 centres in Mangaluru and that’s about it. The industry is a lot smaller than its Kannada counterpart, which in itself is not all that big," he says.

Shetty, however, feels that the limited reach of the Tulu language will not stunt the prospects of Pingara as movie buffs enjoy movies with a "different ethnic value".

“People often like movies about African tribes as they have a unique feel and focus on a different ethnicity. Pingara revolves around people who worship Daiva (evil spirits) and offers something fresh,” says Shetty.

On a concluding note, Shetty adds that he wants to give the film a wide (theatrical) release in the future but exploring the festival circuit is his priority right now.

Pingara, directed by Preetham Shetty, has Neema Ray and Sharan Shetty in the lead roles. The supporting cast includes Usha Bhandary, Guru Hegde and Sinchana Chandramohan.