Cinema rooted in regional soil often finds its voice in the fringes of society, and the upcoming Kannada film Anantha Payana aims directly at that periphery. Slated for theatrical release on November 27, the project, centred on the lives, seasonal migrations, and systemic hardships of nomadic shepherd communities, formally stepped into the spotlight at Belagavi’s Rani Chennamma Circle during the Kannada Rajyotsava gathering, where Minister Satish Jarkiholi unveiled its track, ‘Nanna Kambali’.
The launch set a distinctly local tone for a narrative explicitly tied to North Karnataka’s pastoral terrain. Commending the production team’s choice of subject, Jarkiholi noted the importance of chronicling marginal folk realities on celluloid, urging theatregoers to back authentic, grassroots storytelling over cookie-cutter commercial fare.
For director-actor Sri Kaka, who has transitioned from choreography to helming his first feature, the film functions as both an ethnography and a survival drama. “The title reflects the continuous, border-crossing journey shepherds undertake in search of grazing land,” Sri Kaka said, noting that while the narrative draws from real-life frictions and historical isolation, it retains theatrical balance with six musical tracks, rendered by voices including Kailash Kher, Jaskaran Singh, and Prithwi Bhat, and three action blocks.
Producer Santhosh Ashok Hegde, backing the venture under Shree Ashok Films and SK Film Factory, pointed out that modern urban expansion has drastically intensified the crises faced by these migratory clans, a conflict central to the film’s plot. Actor Nivishka Patil stars alongside an ensemble that includes Bala Rajwadi, Manjunath Hegde, MK Mutt, Lakshmi Siddaiah, and Prashanth Siddi.
Filmed on location across Belagavi, Bengaluru, and the borderlands of Maharashtra, Anantha Payana has cinematography by Vinod Bharathi and music by Aakash Parva.