‘Taledanda’ brings back childhood memories: Sanchari Vijay

The film that is largely shot in and around Chamarajnagar’s Hadialli village delves into the ill-effects of deforestation

National award-winner Sanchari Vijay, who was last seen playing a cop in ‘6ne Maili’ and donned the role of a special investigation officer in ‘Gentleman’, is now seen portraying the role of a differently-abled person in ‘Taledanda’. It is directed by Praveen Krupakar.

This film is truly special for Vijay, given its scope for powerful performance and strong dialogues opposing deforestation.

“The word ‘taledanda’ means beheading and here it means beheading trees to make way for development and progress. But what we lose in the process is the green cover that we must preserve for posterity,” Sanchari Vijay tells Showtime.

‘Taledanda’ is produced by Kripanidhi Kreations. Vijay plays Kunnegowda (Kunna), a boy who is fond of trees and plants. He shares the screen with Mangala, Suresh, Mandya Ramesh, Ramesh Pandit, Natana Prashant and Chaitra. The cinematography is by Ashok Kashyap.

Vijay says that he was reminded of his childhood when he first heard the script.

“I could completely relate to the character and the situations portrayed in the film because I grew up amid lush greenery and loved being with nature. The village atmosphere, climbing trees and bathing in lakes around the vicinity are all still fresh in my memory. We would never have floods, landslides and heavy rain had we not cut down so many trees. The film sends out a strong message,” asserts Vijay.

People are not only destroying green spaces meant for their children, but also those that rightfully belong to the animals, he believes.

The film is shot in Chamarajnagar’s Hadialli village and captures the lives, rituals and beliefs of the Soliga tribe.

“Another interesting aspect of this film is that I had to learn the dialect of the Soliga tribe. It is unlike the Kannada that we speak in the cities. I had to perfect the diction, pronunciation and also converse perfectly. It took long hours of practice to master that. I feel one with the tribals after learning their dialect and I am able to communicate and understand their problems better,” shares Vijay.

Vijay is known for choosing projects focused on strong characters. His role as a transgender in ‘Naanu Avanalla...Avalu’, for which he won the National Award, and his role in Kannada-Tamil bilingual ‘Phirangipura’, won him a lot of acclaims.

For his role as a person with special needs, Vijay visited schools meant for the differently-abled and interacted with them to gain an insight into their body language and emotions.

“The boy is obsessed with protecting his forests and villages against deforestation, and nobody takes him seriously. But he wins support for his cause because of his faith, courage and undying spirit,” he adds.

Vijay’s choice of films always leans towards those with social relevance. “I want to work on films that impact a larger audience. He hopes he can get people thinking about important aspects related to environmental conservation after this film is released,” he signs off.