Winning accolades across the globe and participating in 17 international festivals, “Shivamma,” a woman empowerment film by Rishab Shetty, the renowned actor, director, and producer of Kannada cinema, is finally hitting theaters on June 14.
The film was screened in various locations, but the positive response from the Bengaluru International Film Festival prompted Rishab Shetty to plan for a wider theatrical release. Currently, the film is set to be shown in a few select theaters.
Sharanamma, who plays the titular role of “Shivamma,” delivered a charming and humorous speech filled with innocence at the trailer release event. She shared her experience, saying, “The English dialogue ‘I do it’ was quite challenging for me, but by the evening of the shoot, I managed to get it right,” Sharanamma told the media.
Rishab Shetty recounted his journey with the film: “I met director Jaishankar Aryar at a short film festival organized by Vijaya Karnataka magazine. He later became one of the directors for our film ‘Katha Sangama.’ Jaishankar shared the story of ‘Shivamma’ with me, and I loved it. We started working on it before COVID. The director’s hometown of Yarehanchinahalli in North Karnataka served as the primary filming location. It is also the hometown of Sharanamma Chatti, who plays ‘Shivamma.’ Jaishankar utilized the local talent from the town. So far, ‘Shivamma’ has been screened at seventeen international film festivals. I believe audiences will appreciate this movie. It will be released in multiplexes in Bangalore and in more theaters in North Karnataka. We are introducing a new heroine, ‘Shivamma,’ through this film. I hope you all support our movie.”
Director Jaishankar Aryar shared his perspective: “I am basically an IT employee, but Yarehanchinahalli is my father’s hometown. I was directing some short films and wanted to make a film about my hometown. Due to COVID, I stayed there for a year, which gave me more time to learn about the people and the culture. Sharanamma Chatti from our hometown was selected for the role of ‘Shivamma.’ Most of the cast is from the same town. The film has been screened at many international film festivals for a year before its release.”
Sharanamma Chatti also spoke about her experience: “When I went to talk to director Jaishankar’s mother, Jaishankar saw me and asked, ‘Will you act in the movie?’ This was all new to us. After taking permission from my family and village elders, I agreed to act in the film. The crew treated us well and taught us how to act.”
Chennamma Abbigere, Shivu Abbigere, and Shruti Kondenahalli, who also acted in the film, shared their experiences with “Shivamma.” Actor Pramod Shetty, a close aide of Rishab Shetty, wished the film good luck.
