Bengaluru: Natesh Hegde’s full-length Kannada feature film, ‘Vaghachipani’, is one of the ’30 films from five continents’ and first Kannada film being chosen in the Forum Main category of the 75th International Film Festival Berlin, popularly called Berlinale, scheduled from February 13 to 23.

‘Vaghachipani’ is Hegde’s second film. His first feature film, ‘Pedro’, much acclaimed in film festivals around the world, and produced by Rishabh Shetty, is yet to see a theatrical release in India. Even the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) is yet to screen the film.

But it is ‘Pedro’ which helped him find his producer for ‘Vaghachipani’ in Anurag Kashyap, who in turn brought in Ranjan Singh, who had produced Kashyap’s ‘Kennedy’.

“Anurag and I met in one of the film festivals that was screening ‘Pedro’, and we became friends. He told me he wanted to be associated in some capacity with my next project. That is how he ended up co-producing ‘Vaghachipani’,” said Hegde to PTI.

‘Pedro’, which was screened at many film festivals, including the Busan International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival also introduced him to Singapore-based Jeremy Chua, the producer of ‘Inside Yellow Cocoon Shell’, which won Camera d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Chua too was only happy to co-produce ‘Vaghachipani’, said Hegde.

In a statement issued by the Press Office of Berlinale, ‘Vaghachipani’ is described as “Indian cinema of stylish assurance and concision”.

Hegde said the way he approaches a film is what probably sets his films apart from the ‘template’ versions that are churned out in dozens by the Kannada film industry.

“For me, it is not just storytelling. It is also about what I want to convey or achieve through the film,” said Hegde.

He describes himself as an “alien” in the Kannada film industry.

“I come from a village (in the Sirsi district of Karnataka) that you cannot even locate on Google maps. I still live there. So, I had to create my own ecosystem. The one great advantage is that I could skip existing templates and do my own thing,” said Hegde.

Hegde also does not subscribe to the “notion” that a place could define a person’s taste in art.

“It is just a notion that only if you have unfettered access to art, you’d be an artist or connoisseur. One could have the fastest speed internet, but that does not necessarily teach him or her how to develop taste in arts,” said Hegde.

As for him, Hegde said he was always interested in films, even though he lived in a small village.

“I was watching everything that came my way. Just like most people do when they want to explore films beyond their region and language, I too started streaming films from those pirated films websites. And then one day I watched that one film that made me want to do more than just watch,” said Hegde.

After that Hegde said he sought out films made by filmmakers whose idea of filmmaking he resonated with.

“Abbas Kiarostami, Robert Bresson, G Aravindan, Ritwik Ghatak and Kenji Mizaguchi are some of the directors whose work made me realise that I wanted to make films like that,” said Hegde.

Hegde said he was also lucky that his father and mother stood with him and his quest to become a filmmaker, although they did not understand the whys and hows.

“They are your regular village people. They did agriculture like everybody else there and my father also doubled as an electrician in the village,” said Hegde.

When Hegde turned a filmmaker, his father turned an actor too, said Hegde.

“I cast him as Pedro out of necessity and he surprised me with his acting skills. He was even nominated as ‘Best Actor’ at Indian Festival Melbourne 2024,” said Hegde.

‘Vaghichipani’, said Hegde, is named after his neighbouring village in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, which derives its name from a pond where tigers come to quench thirst.

“I am fascinated by the lurking presence of the tiger,” said Hegde.

In case you are wondering, ‘Vaghichipani’ tells the story of a mentally challenged shepherdess, who is preyed upon by patriarchy.

The film was shot on a 16mm camera by cinematographer Vikas Urs, who also did ‘Pedro’ with him, said Hegde.

Incidentally, last year Hegde’s “good friend” P S Vinothraj’s ‘Kottukkaali’ became the first Tamil film to get a world premiere at the 74th Berlinale.