Interview | Natesh Hegde on Berlin-bound ‘Vagachipani’ (Tiger’s Pond) and teaming with Anurag Kashyap-OxBig News Network

Natesh Hegde, one of the forces behind the resurgence of Kannada parallel cinema, is gearing up for a milestone moment in his career. Vaghachipani (Tiger’s Pond), his sophomore film, is set to be the first Kannada feature to have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, which runs from February 13-23. “Berlin, Venice, and Cannes are considered the three best festivals in the world. It’s a great platform to showcase my film,“ he enthuses.

Natesh’s debut film, Pedro, produced by actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty and starring Raj B Shetty and Natesh’s father, Gopal Hegde, was a festival darling, winning Best Film at Pingyao and Nantes Three Continents Festival, besides being screened at BFI London Film Festival, Golden House and IndieLisbona. With Vagachipani, Natesh has strengthened the Kannada new wave, fuelled further by his contemporaries such as Jaishankar Aryar (Shivamma), Sumanth Bhat (Mithya), Ram Reddy (Thithi), Utsav Gonwar (Photo), Champa Shetty (Koli Esru) and seasoned filmmaker Prithvi Konanur (Hadinelentu).

Crime drama

The Berlinale describes Vagachipani as a “sharp, simmering crime drama exploring the nefarious confluence of faith, caste, and political power.“ Set in Mavinakatta in Sirsi, a small town located in the Western Ghats and known for its lush greenery, scenic landscapes, and waterfalls, the film is about a mentally challenged shepherdess living in the house of Prabhu, a feudal businessman, who is on the verge of winning the village council elections. He learns that the shepherdess is pregnant but keeps it under wraps. The film is based on two short stories from Amaresh Nugadoni.

“Set in a hermetic village ruled by fear and tradition, Hegde’s film is a game of tigers and cows, a tale of structured oppression and spontaneous resistance around the figure of the mute maid,“ reads the film’s logline on the Berlinale website. Vagachipani is a pond where tigers quench their thirst. The film has the backing of ace filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, producer Ranjan Singh (Kennedy), and Singapore-based producer Jeremy Chua.

Natesh Hegde in the film.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Kashyap, a master of the crime genre, calls Natesh a “gifted filmmaker.“ “His storytelling is fluid and effortless. In Vagachipani, he has handled the sensitive parts of the story so deftly that it makes the viewers a part of it. His handling of the camera is such that it’s almost invisible,“ says Kashyap. According to Ranjan, the film “is a folk tale, told with warmth and passion by Natesh.”

Exit Rishab, Enter Kashyap

Vagachipani began with Kantara actor-director Rishab again donning the producer’s role after Pedro. However, Rishab, due to his busy schedule, had to step away from the project. “Rishab backed the movie till we completed shooting. He saw that it was a big film and realised it required time as a producer. These kinds of movies require a lot of nurturing. You have to go to festivals, crack business deals, and secure OTT platforms. That’s why he stepped aside, leading to the entry of Kashyap,“ explains Natesh.

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Kashyap had expressed interest to be associated with Natesh’s next project, after being impressed by Pedro. In a recent interview, the Gangs of Wasseypur director confessed that he lacked the skills to produce a film, but he enjoyed presenting movies he liked. “Anurag and I met several times and developed a bond. Producing is a tough job. You need to give time to a project daily. However, Anurag has a lot of people around him to present a project. He has enough manpower. He is kind enough to lend his name to films he likes. He has been doing that for two decades now,“ says Natesh.

Vagachipani is a companion piece to Pedro, as it rallies behind people ostracised by society. “I don’t see them as outcasts, to be honest. I relate to them. For a long time, I was made to believe that films are about certain people and our lives aren’t worthy enough to be seen on the big screen. That’s the reason why I began making movies. I want to show that a simple person can be a protagonist,“ he offers.

The film stars noted actors Dileesh Pothan and Achyuth Kumar. Dileesh, the director behind new-gen Malayalam hits such as Joji (2021)and Maheshinte Prathikaram (2016), was impressed by Pedro, reveals Natesh. 

Gopal Hegde in ‘Vagachipani’.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“His gigantic physicality is what makes him apt for the role. He plays a Malabari, and as an immigrant, he always tries to prove that he belongs to the town, but we know he is a big misfit. This vulnerability and his personality made Dileesh perfect for the role. As directors, we don’t necessarily subscribe to the same idea of filmmaking, but we get along well. His friends told him that this was one of his finest performances.”

Incidentally, Dileesh, Natesh, and Anurag worked as actors in Ashiq Abu’s recent Malayalam hit Rifle Club, a wild, action-packed Westerner set in the Western Ghats. “Dileesh urged me to do the film,“ says Natesh. “We all did the project as it was an opportunity for us to hang out,“ he adds.

Achyuth, one of the most dependable actors in Kannada cinema, has been boxed in the role of a cop or a father over the years. “Be it Achyuth anna or Avinash sir, I admire such actors. Somewhere in the corner of my mind, I always felt these actors weren’t getting characters that do full justice to their talent. For instance, commercial films have a set of shots and angles, like mid shots, for these actors. Nobody knows how Achyuth anna looks from behind, or we haven’t seen a different angle of his face. This film was quite a different experience for him, and he enjoyed it,“ Natesh says.

Natesh also opens up on his camaraderie with his father, Gopal Hegde, who has acted in both his feature films. “He has become like a son to me. There is, of course, complete trust and love between us. As an actor, he was always confident.”

Mainstream vs Parallel

Natesh’s Pedro is yet to have its mainstream release. Films such as Shivamma, Photo, and Hadinelentuhad limited theatrical runs in 2024, once again putting the spotlight on the identity of parallel films in the commercial cinema space. Recently, Tamil filmmaker Ameer stirred a controversy when he said PS Vinothraj’s Kottukaali’s shouldn’t have been released in theatres as poor box office numbers could spoil the film’s reputation.

Natesh calls it a baseless argument. “We (parallel filmmakers) don’t make films to double our money. My film is made for the big screen. That’s why we rely on festivals so that people can see our films. I can confidently say that my film is more deserving than several commercial hits. The same argument applies to Kottukkaali or any other serious movie. You can’t expect these movies to make crores at the box office. That’s unfair,“ he opines.

ALSO READ:‘Kottukkaali’ movie review: Anna Ben, Soori bring PS Vinothraj’s meticulously-crafted vision to life

Vagachipani wasshot on 16 mm film. “The spectral camera drifts through the netherworld, registering its rocky terrain and its murky goings-on, and its unforgettable faces in rapturous 16mm images,“ says the Berlinale website.

Asked about the choice, Natesh offers, “I love shooting on film stock. It feels like you are handling a living being. It’s imperfect, like a human being, and that’s its beauty. As a filmmaker, you need to be precise while shooting in celluloid.”