Poet Doddarangegowda debuts as movie director

Made on a shoestring budget, Haruva Hamsagalu is about the evils of the mobile phone

Poet Doddarangegowda is debuting as director with ‘Haruva Hamsagalu’ (Flying Swans), a film for children.

He plans to release the 90-minute film on Teachers’ Day, September 5, and hopes cinema halls will be open by then. “It is about how mobile phones have affected children and eroded our values,” says the Padma Shri awardee and retired Kannada professor.

About two years ago, he began writing the story.

“Children commit crimes for mobile phones, face atrocities because of what is seen on mobile phones,” he says.

He plans to meet Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Education Minister S Suresh Kumar to get all school children to watch the film.

‘Haruva Hamsagalu’ was made on a shoestring budget of about Rs 15 lakh. “Technicians, artistes and music composers worked out of affection and respect for me,” he says.

The film was shot in and around Pragna School on Bull Temple Road in Bengaluru, and in Dodda Alanahalli in Mandya district.

Doddarangegowda has written two songs, while H Dundiraj, known for his witty verses, has written a third.

H Vasuprasad has produced the film under the Deepankar Films banner. Suresh and Upasana Mohan have composed music. P V R Swamy is the cinematographer.

Doddarangegowda, who has written 700-plus songs for Kannada films, says children’s films have great scope and potential but are only made by those with an eye on awards.