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SandalwoodThe film is based on Reverend Ferdinand Kittel, known for creating the first Kannada-English dictionary.Digital NativeDigital Native It has been well publicised already that veteran Kannada actor V Ravichandran will be starring in a film titled Kannadiga, directed by Bm Giriraj. Touted to be a period drama, Kannadiga is about Reverend Ferdinand Kittel, well-known for creating the first Kannada-English dictionary. The latest buzz is that popular actor-producer Rockline Venkatesh will also be seen in a pivotal role in this film, according to Cinema Express. Interestingly, V Ravichandran and Rockline Venkatesh have shared the screen space in a couple of films before and have a good rapport. Besides these two actors, Kannadiga will also star Jamie Alter, son of the late actor Tom Alter. This film will mark Jamie’s entry into the Kannada film industry. While Ravichandran plays the role of Samantabhadra, Jamie will be seen as Reverend Ferdinand Kittel.

Prakash Babu M.S.’s feature debut “Attihannu Mattu Kanaja” probes the agonizing anticipation of slow cinema with none of its delicacy. This quiet, Kannada-language film is sparse in dialogue, and even more sparing with music; in so doing, the film attempts to differentiate itself from Hindi-language, Bollywood extravaganza. By the same token, this film’s weak stab at arthouse cinema goes a little too far. Babu’s debut feature cuts out too much to mean too little, thus concluding as an altogether boring ordeal.

“Fig Fruit and the Wasps” opens with an excruciating twenty-minute road trip sequence. City-dwellers Gouri (Bhavani Prakash) and her cameraman, Vittal (Ranjit Bhasakaran) journey into a rural village to capture Adorno’s thesis “on popular music” on camera – in which local geography defines the regional music produced. Once they arrive, however, the one in-town musician just so happens to be out-of-town for the time being. Local...

SandalwoodThere's a lot of brutality in the film but the slow pace and logical loopholes prove to be a let down.Aravind ShwethaACP Jaidev (Rahul Ainapur) is a tough cop. He is street-smart and knows exactly when to use his brains and brandish his gun. But, he suffers from Complex Partial Seizure and blacks out at regular intervals. The film opens with the gruesome murder of Jaidev’s brother. Jaidev, like an injured lion, is out looking for the murderer; but with every clue, a new thread of mystery opens. He has two close friends and a girlfriend Dr Pavitra (Hridaya Avanti), who assist him in solving the murder mystery. Like a twist in the tale, Jaidev’s colleague and friend Ajith (Ajith Jayaraj) convinces him that he murdered his brother himself during one of the seizures. Upset over this, Jaidev decides to end his life and jumps off a really tall building.

A ttihannu Mattu Kanaja is one of the five projects selected for the Work In Progress Lab of Film Bazaar 2013. We spoke to the director M S Prakash Babu:

M S Prakash Babu

Tell us about your project. What language will it be in?

Attihannu Mattu Kanaja tries to capture human attitude when people are placed in a condition / situation / environment which is familiar and at the same time unfamiliar. As the seemingly simple yet complex situations develop, how these characters fit into a landscape and climate as much mental as physical.

Silence becomes a tool of protest amidst cacophony. Topographically each space has its own rhythm. It is enmeshed with the culture, language and day to day life of the people living there. The space too has a kind of music. Both internal and external forces govern the patterns of that rhythm. Contempt and casual approach towards these...