Mangaluru: The muhurat of ‘Kanurayana’, a film on the 35-year journey of the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), was held at Dharmastala on Friday.

D Veerendra Heggade, dharmadhikari, Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, also the chairman of the SKDRDP, launched the shooting of the film and his wife Hemavathi Heggade gave the clap for the muhurat shot of the film that was followed by shooting of the theme song of the film. Talking about the movie, Heggade said it will motivate urban people to turn to agriculture as their source of livelihood.

“The film highlights the problems of the villagers and their lifestyle. The film being directed by noted director T S Nagabharana will be for the family audience,” he said. Nagabharana said shooting will be completed within 50 days and it will be shot in Belavadi village of Chikkamagalur district.

According to Pradeep G, SKDRDP coordinator, in-charge of the celluloid project, the film will be produced at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore. Women SHG members volunteered to donate the amount as a mark of respect to the dharmadhikari. The SKDRDP has around 35 lakh members and each member will contribute Rs 20, he added.

This is the first public-funded film in Kannada and second in the country, said T S Nagabharana. In 1976 farmers from Gujarat had contributed Rs 2 each for Shyam Benegal’s “Manthan” on the white revolution brought out by Verghese Kurien.

Nagabharana, who has brought out four documentaries on SKDRDP, said it was challenging to come out with a story line on SKDRDP that has impacted lakhs of villagers in different ways. A team of four story writers went through a number of case studies and came out with a story. Following Muhurat shot in Dharmastala temple premises on Friday, the film crew will move to Belvadi where majority of the film will be shot. The film would be ready in three months, he said.