JOIN USFilm celebrates wise farmer
Bengaluru-based filmmaker Adithyaa Sadashiv has made a feature-length documentary called ‘Naati Beeja’ (The Organic Seed) on the veteran social reformer and progressive farmer Giriyapura Halappa Kashinath.
He started his research and shooting in 2019. Presented by Vinya Studios, a production house founded by Adithyaa’s father, renowned artist MS Murthy, the film is 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Adithyaa says, “I wanted to make a film about Kashinath because he’s done some great things and still continues to but not many know about him.”
Hailing from Chikmagalur district, Kashinath was the first person to encourage farmers to gain high yield by introducing fertiliser in the village. He encouraged farmers to use local cows for ploughing the land and eventually introduce the production of milk for sale.
In 1960, Kashinath introduced mass weddings to cut down the lavish expenses on weddings under the name ‘Navajeevana Darshana Mantapa’.
During the famine in the 1960s, he teamed up with other affluent people and arranged food and relief materials to the affected people.
Sri Gurukrupa Educational Institution was started in 1962 in his village, which was a girls hostel.
Adithyaa pitches in, “He’s done this and so much more. He became our state’s role model with his approach to dairy farming, rural development and social services. With the film, I want to revive those memories in people.”
For months, the filmmaker travelled several times to the village to talk to Kashinath, his friends and family members to form the storyline.
“Everyone was extremely co-operative and they were thrilled to know that this was going to become a reel experience soon,” he says.
Currently, the documentary is touring the online platforms at various film festivals across the globe.
About Adithyaa Sadashiv
He’s a Visual Communication graduate from St Joseph’s College. Trained under cinematographer A S Kanal in film direction and editing, he had his first solo exhibition at The Goa State Museum in 2020. Adithyaa has also illustrated a children’s novel called Yaksha in 2019 and also published his first book A-Z Aristes- A Handbook for Beginners in 2017.
He started his own production and editing studio, Vinyas Studios, with the aim to focus on untold and unheard stories. He made a short documentary called ‘Portrait of a Poet’ on poet and Padma Shi Awardee Dr Doddarange Gowda.
During the lockdown, he made a black and white film called ‘Black’ which is an entry at the Corona Short Film Festival.