Tiger’s Pond director Natesh Hegde: Anurag Kashyap being attached to the film gave it great credibility

As Tiger’s Pond becomes the first Kannada movie to première at Berlin Film Festival, director Natesh Hegde on how Anurag Kashyap played a key role in taking it global

Natesh Hegde’s directorial venture Tiger’s Pond (Vaghachipani) has become the first Kannada film to be screened at the ongoing Berlin International Film Festival. The crime drama, backed by Anurag Kashyap, was showcased in the Forum strand on February 15. When we ask an elated Hegde why it took so long for a Kannada film to achieve this feat, he says, “It’s not that there were no good films in Kannada. But the festival is a different ballgame. You have to think that it’s a marketplace.” 

Natesh Hegde and Natesh Hegde

Set in the village of Vaghachipani, the crime drama follows a ruthless businessman’s bid to manipulate the local elections. Pathi, a mute maid, becomes pivotal in the film’s exploration of power, faith, and caste dynamics. Hegde believes the road to the prestigious festival wouldn’t have been possible without Kashyap. “Anurag being attached to the film gave it great credibility. I met him when I was showing Pedro [2021] to filmmakers and programmers. Many told me that I should show it to Anurag, and strangely, we bumped into each other at the Busan International Film Festival in 2021. We acted together in Rifle Club [2024] and developed a bond,” he smiles.

The filmmaker believes that the rural politics of Tiger’s Pond grounds it. When telling a story rooted in the country’s political aspects, is there a tendency to practice self-censorship? “If we are self-censored, it’s the by-product of the times we live in. I’d believe we are very honest and brave. I think I don’t consciously self-censor or think about the repercussions. But we have the ability to know what to show and what not to. If we call that self-censoring, then everything is self-censored. If that’s a sensibility, then it’s fine. The courage comes from within,” states Hegde.

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