“Sanchari was keen that Taledanda reach national and international audiences, and he wanted a few national-award winners to talk about this film. He was planning to ask actor Mammootty to give a byte about the film. He was equally enthusiastic about having a few words from another National award winner, Kamal Haasan.
Taledanda tells the story of Kunna, an intellectually-challenged person showing exemplary concern and awareness about the conservation of the environment. The film has been sent to over 16 international film festivals and has also been sent to national awards. “We will also apply for the State awards as and when it opens,” says Praveen, who adds that Kunna was a tailor-made character for Sanchari Vijay. “He took my request and stayed with the Soliga tribes. He did this to understand their culture and food habits. For this, I took permission from authorities. This is just one example of how deeply he got involved in a certain character.” Praveen makes a special mention about Vijay’s onscreen chemistry with actor Mangala. “She was his mentor and as artistes, the two had healthy competition,” he says.
