Director Madhusudhan Havaldar, who has been striving to bring Kannada Dasa Sahitya and the life stories of Haridasas to the public through cinema, is all set to release his fifth film based on a Haridasa, ‘Kakhandaiki Sri Mahipathi Dasaru’, across Karnataka on November 27, on the auspicious occasion of Kanakadasa Jayanti.
The journey, which began in 2021 with ‘Jagannatha Dasaru’ continued with ‘ Venkata Dasaru’, ‘Vijaya Dasaru’ and ‘Jagannatha Dasaru Part 2’. It now continues with ‘Kakhandaiki Sri Mahipathi Dasaru’. Havaldar expressed his happiness, stating that producing and directing five films based on the lives of five Haridasas in five years is nothing short of a miracle for him.
The life story of Mahipathi Dasaru, who held a high-ranking position in the Adil Shahi court before coming under the influence of Sufi saint Shanunga and later becoming a disciple of Bhaskara Swamiji to embrace the path of renunciation, is the major highlight of the film. The film team has made an effort to portray significant events from the life of Mahipathi Dasaru, who was proficient in six languages, in a cinematic manner without compromising historical accuracy.
For the climax, the characters of ‘Hanuma, Bhima and Madhwa’ have been imaginatively portrayed, with special VFX technology used to create an impactful visual experience. Renowned singer Raichur Sheshagiri Das has acted in the film and also sang the song ‘Gururayananta Karunalu Kaane Jagadolage’. Vijayanand Nayak plays the role of Mahipathi Dasaru, while Chandini portrays his wife.
The film has been made with the objective of introducing the importance of Dasa Sahitya to the present generation. Havaldar also plans to produce a seven-part film series based on the lives of prominent Haridasas and saints, including Vyasaraja, Purandara Dasa and Kanakadasa. He has expressed his ambition to bring at least two films before audiences every year.
At the press conference organized to share information about the film, actress Chandini, who plays the role of Mahipathi Dasaru’s wife, actor Heramba, Gururaj of Sound of Music fame, singer Raichur Sheshagiri Das, associate directors Savant and Bobby, actor Vijay Bhaskar, and Daya, who handled the film’s VFX work, were present.
