Yogaraj Bhat marries romance with wrestling in Kannada film Garadi

Today, Garadi Mane, a body conditioning centre (traditional gymnasium) where wrestlers are trained in the ancient art, stands without none of its past glory, thanks to the rise of modern gyms.

In the olden days, Garadi Mane were an inseparable part of even small towns. Once there were 52 Garadi Mane in Bengaluru. Now, even the charm of the oldest Garadi Mane is slowly fading away.

The Kannada film Garadi, set to hit the screens on November 10 ahead of Deepavali, is set in the Garadi Mane milieu. It marks the return of actor and politician BC Patil, who is facing the camera after a hiatus. He also doubles up as the film's producer. Surya and Sonal Monteiro essay the lead roles. Darshan is making a special appearance.

“Garadi Mane was once a kind of society’s police station. They had taken the responsibility of protecting the land, language and culture. Disputes were settled amicably, without compromising the values of a harmonious society. There were instances of mothers of newborns supporting Garadi Mane by bestowing their breast milk. This film is the story of one Garadi Mane,” film maker Yogaraj Bhat told The Federal.

On brink of extinction

“I took a leaf out of the Mahabharata and opted for the part that deals with the critical and complex human relationship between Dronacharya and Ekalavya. I have blended the theme with the story of a wrestling master and his disciple,” Bhat explained.

The trailer of Garadi was recently released in Ranebennur, known to have a large number of wrestlers. Darshan, making a cameo appearance, also underlined the importance of Garadi Mane and offered an insight on what they are to society.

“Garadi Mane traditionally passed the knowledge of body tuning and wrestling knowledge down through generations. They represent our folk and traditional culture even today. However, gyms that replaced them have become less teacher-centric and more student centered. The need of the hour is to protect, preserve and promote Garadi Manes, which are on the verge of extinction,” he said.

Interestingly, Darshan had wanted to become a wrestler. He is getting trained in Ranebennur’s Garadi Mane to learn the nuances of wrestling for his upcoming film Katera.

Not the first time

Garadi Mane has been featured in many Kannada films earlier. Rajkumar in Sri Krishnadevaraya, directed by BR Pantulu in 1970, fights and defeats a pailwan (wrestler), Similarly, in Mayura, directed by Vijay in 1975, a Garadi Mane protects Mayura-Kadamba king (character essayed by Rajkumar) from the Pallavas. Vishnuvardhan learns life lessons in a Garadi Mane in Nagarahavu directed by Puttanna Kanagal. Sudeep essayed the role of a pailwan in the film Pailwan, directed by Krishna.

For the first time in his two-decade journey with the visual medium, Yogaraj Bhat, known for making meaningful romantic films and raising questions about societal evils, is attempting to make an action-based love story. 

Though he entered the film industry through Chakra in 2001, he carved a niche for himself through Mungaru Male in 2006. Success followed him since then. His Galipata, Manasare, Pancharangi, Paramatma, Lifeu IshTene, Drama, Dyavare and Galipata-2 appealed to both mass and class audiences of Kannada.

“Garadi is a high-voltage human drama. Yes, I am trying my hand in the action genre. It celebrates wrestling and Garadi Mane culture. But Garadi Mane is a major character in Garadi. It is a sensitive love story,” says Yogaraj Bhat.

Another Sarpatta Parambarai?

Is Bhat inspired by the success of Sarpatta Parambarai of Pa Ranjith and other native sports films in Tamil? “No. I am not influenced by any movie on sports. For a long time, the complex relationship between Dronacharya and Eklavya was haunting me. I explored the complexity from the societal perspective. Garadi Mane came in handy for me,” he asserted.

BC Patil, who is essaying the role of Korapit Rangappa, head of Garadi Mane, says: “Garadi will be a unique film. With Yogaraj Bhat’s direction and Harikrishna’s music, it promises to be an engaging entertainer.”