BENGALURU: Come April, D Veerendra Heggade, hereditary administrator (Dharmadhikari) of the Dharmasthala Temple, will appear on the big screen for the first time. The Dharmadhikari is playing himself in a movie which captures the ages old Kambala (buffalo race).
When asked about choosing Veerendra Heggade, the director of the film Rajendra Singh said, “Kambala has been a popular sport in coastal Karnataka for centuries. But there were some obstacles to the holding of the sport during the 1970s. It was Dharmadikaari Heggade who revived the Kambala and there was no other person suitable for this role”.
Singh explained that in the climax of the movie, a race between two buffaloes ends in a tie which leads to a dispute. The matter is taken to the Dharmadikari, the role played by Heggade himself, who delivers the judgement. His role will be for a few minutes, but a crucial one,” Singh said.
‘Professional buffalo racers roped in’
Rajendra Singh added that many professional buffalo racers have been roped in, including Srinivasa Gowda who broke Usain Bolt’s record by covering 100 meters in just 9.55 seconds.
“This role cannot be played by normal actors as it requires skills. We have used many local talents in the movie, including the commentator. Prakash Raj, Ravishankar and Radhika Chetan are part of the cast.
Most of the shooting of the film has been done at Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district where Kambala is a household name. The movie is of two hours 20 minute duration and falls in both commercial and art film categories. It will be released in Kannada, Hindi, Tulu, Telugu and Tamil.
Singh added, “Kambala is not just a sport, its a tradition and also culture. It connects farmers with soil, buffalo with man. Every year, Kambala races are organised at 40 locations for four months. Through the movie, we are making an attempt to popularise it”.