Kannada legend Girish Kasaravalli: A cult above the rest

In 1977, a young Girish Kasaravalli, a gold medallist from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), made his debut film Ghatashraddha with the simple aim of creating ‘good cinema’. Little did he know that his first film would go on to become a cult classic. The impact of Kasaravalli’s artistry is evident in the fact that the film is still considered a masterpiece.

Recently restored, the film’s revival was spearheaded by the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), in collaboration with initiatives led by Martin Scorsese (The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project) and George Lucas (Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation).

The restored version premiered at the recently-concluded 81st Venice International Film Festival. Kasaravalli, who attended the Venice screening on September 3 and 4, remarks, “For a long time, people have only seen poor-quality prints. Now they can finally view it in good quality. Although I had seen parts of the restoration before, the premiere was the first time I watched the fully-restored version.”

Ghatashraddha, based on a novella by the eminent Kannada writer UR Ananthamurthy, was restored using the original 35mm camera negative preserved at the National Film Archive of India and a 35mm print preserved at the United States Library of Congress. “At one point, I had lost hope of ever seeing it again. The negatives were lost, but we managed to recover them, and finally, it has been restored,” shares the 73-year-old veteran filmmaker.

A man of few words, Kasaravalli prefers to let his work speak for itself. Yet, with his deep expertise in filmmaking, he instinctively knows when a film is significant. “Some films, if made well, remain subjects of discussion for years. In the world of cinema, no well-crafted film is ever considered outdated. If it’s well made, it’s serious cinema. Critics revisit it time and again,” Kasaravalli says, speaking from Venice.

Restoring this Kannada classic and ensuring it finally received international recognition has always been a passion project for Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the Film Heritage Foundation. As a fellow FTII alumnus, Dungarpur recalls watching Ghatashraddha multiple times. “It was on my wishlist of about 10 films that I wanted to restore.

It’s one of the most significant films in Indian cinema history,” he shares. “Even today, the themes of Ghatashraddha resonate, whether in its portrayal of women’s roles or the caste system. Girish shot the film in his own village and house, the Kasaravalli home.”

Hence, Dungarpur believes that it was fitting that the foundation chose such an important Kannada film for restoration.

The Venice premiere was attended by critics, filmmakers, and members of the Indian film fraternity. Dungarpur, who was also present, expressed his joy at seeing Kasaravalli receive international acclaim. “Girish doesn’t actively promote his work, but I must say, the festival has done a great job of positioning him as a master, giving him the respect he truly deserves as a filmmaker,” Dungarpur concludes.