My interest in the art of films led to the beginning of a complete
audio-video production house-'Applause Films,' in 1994. Under the Applause banner, many
corporate films and documentaries have been produced. I have directed all and scripted
most of my films. That is now ventured into making a full length future film'- says
Kavitha Lankesh, whose debut making 'Deveere'based on her father Late
P.Lankesh's novel 'Akka' has already been well acclaimed. The thirty plus films she has
directed so far include films for corporate firms and documentaries for the government of
Karnataka. Many films have received wide appreciation and awards.
A short film on Tulasi, who has been awarded the Indira Priyadarshini Award. Tulasi is
widely known as the barefoot ecologist. A film on the state of the Siddhi Tribe (of
African origin) in Karnataka.
A public awareness film on the Bannerghatta National Park (Karnataka), and an educational
film for children on nature camp.
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Another similarly public-spirited film was for the Bangalore City
Corporation's 'Clean City' drive.
Besides using the audio-visual medium to promote companies and public interest, it was
challenging to make a forty-five minute documentary on Ninasam, one of the greatest
experiments in rural theatre in Karnataka. The film, shot at Heggodu village at the
foothills of the Western Ghats, captured the work of Magsaysay winner K.V.Subanna
and was telecast on Doordarshan. It received rave reviews in all the leading newspapers -
says this woman director in her late twenties regarding her earlier works she also made a
twenty minute film on the rural art from called 'Hasekale' which is fast vanishing. The
film was shown on Doordashan.
Her other works included:-
An audio visual travel magazine called " Avalokana" for the Karnataka
Information Development and Profile of the Urban Slum Development Board.
A docu-profile on six women of Karnataka - B.Jayashree - Theatre, Pushpamala - Artist,
Prema Karanth - Director, Jayanthi - Film actress, Vaidehi - Writer, Tripura Kashyap -
Contemporary dancer. The docu-profile received wide acclaim all over the state.
A one hour 30 minute film on seven women folk singers of Karnataka. The film captures the
dying art of folk songs, called Janapada and the triumphs and trials of these women in the
context of the present television and film boom.
A short film Yakshagana - the song of angels which was previewed by the press and has
received good reviews.
A 2 hour 15 minute feature film in 35 mm titled 'Deveeri' based on 'Akka' a novell written
by P.Lankesh. The film was completed on 29th December 1999. Kavitha has handed the
Screenplay and Direction.
I have also scripted a feature film (35mm). The script has been approved by the National
film Development Corporation. The film will be produced, and directed by me shortly.
Kavitha, a Masters holder in English Literature from the Bangalore University has a
Diploma in Advertising. She took up the field of Celluloid with much passion and interest.
Her father, P.Lankesh, a doyen of Kannada Literature and Journalism, in his own right,
encouraged her. It is a sheer coincidence that Kavitha's first directional venture of a
feature film is being released just after the death of her much revered and sometimes much
hated father. It was a great challenge for Kavitha to have taken her father's best prosaic
Novel to direct her first film, but nevertheless she has succeeded in conveying the
emotional overtones in the Novel.
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