In what could be a Lagaan closer home, the uprising against imperial rule at Esur village in Shikaripur taluk — an inspiring episode in the annals of freedom movement in Karnataka — will soon be on silver screen.

Basavaraj Vaibhav, a videographer from Shikaripur, is directing the movie in which Shivarajkumar is playing the role of a freedom fighter. After Hagaluvesha directed by Baragur Ramachandrappa, this is Shivarajkumar’s second movie on freedom struggle.

Mr. Vaibhav told The Hindu that the movie would be named Esur Dange – 1942 and he has been working on the screenplay since January, 2014.

It was when Geetha Shivarajkumar, who was the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate for Lok Sabha election from Shivamogga constituency, was campaigning in Esur village that Mr. Vaibhav got an opportunity to interact with her. She evinced interest in the project and promised to convince her husband to act in the movie. Actor Suchendra Prasad will also feature in the film.

Slice of history

In 1942, the residents of Esur refused to pay land revenue to the government as agriculture yield had declined that year owing to natural calamity. When the British employed intimidating tactics to collect taxes, people offered stiff resistance by snatching revenue documents from them.

The British officials were barred from entering the village. On September 29, 1942, people hoisted the tri-colour flag on Veerabhadreshwara temple in Esur and declared that the village was “liberated” from the British rule.

The police troupes sent by the British government a few days later to reclaim the village indulged in arson and looting. A revenue officer and a police officer were killed in the riots.

The police unleashed violence on innocent civilians. More than 200 freedom activists, who had fled to the nearby forest, were arrested. Even Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose had spoken highly of the spirit of patriotism in Esur’s residents.

Mr. Vaibhav has referred to the interviews of freedom fighters from the village that were broadcast by Akashvani, Bhadravathi, the ballads that were composed and sung by the people in surrounding villages on Esur struggle, and many history books, while working on the screenplay.

The shooting will commence in January.

H.T. Baligar, a bureaucrat-turned-politician, will be the producer. “It will neither be an art nor a commercial venture, but a bridge film that can be enjoyed and appreciated by all,” he said, adding that the film would be shot around Esur, Gaama, Arishinagere, and Balligavi villages in Shikaripur taluk.

It is not an art or commercial venture, but a bridge film that can be appreciated by all –

H.T. Baligar,producer

I have referred to interviews of freedom fighters from the village that were broadcast by Akashvani, Bhadravathi, and the ballads composed and sung by people in surrounding villages on the struggle

Basavaraj Vaibhav,director

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Veerendra P.M. / Shivamogga – August 05th, 2015