Latest news with #Natesh
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Meaningful cinema isn't just for ‘art house' audiences; it's for everyone: Natesh Hegde
Natesh Hegde, filmmaker and actor behind Pedro and Vagachipani, says he's committed to making meaningful cinema. The filmmaker credits much of his inspiration to the iconic Kannada writer K P Poornachandra Tejaswi. 'Tejaswi's work didn't just reflect the place; it embodied its soul. That's the energy I try to bring into my films, too,' Natesh tells us. His upcoming project, Kurka, continues in that vein. 'The film, co-starring Vijay Raghavendra and directed by Ganesh Hegde of Neeli Hakki fame, has been shot in Uttar Karnataka — a region both Ganesh and I hail from. The terrain you'll see in the film is unlike what most associate with the area. It's a bit like what Rakshit Shetty did with Udupi in his films — it's rather unique,' shares Natesh, who also served as editor on the film. Excerpts from a chat: 'FILMS THRIVE CRITICALLY AND COMMERCIALLY ABROAD AFTER FESTIVALS; WHY NOT IN INDIA?' Reflecting on the industry's often rigid categorisation of films, Natesh says, 'I've travelled to many festivals around the world, and it's only in India that we segregate cinema as either 'festival films' or 'commercial films.' I've seen films that screened at international festivals perform brilliantly in their home countries — both critically and commercially. But in India, the moment a film plays at a festival, it's immediately labelled as 'art house. ' That label creates an unnecessary divide, that meaningful cinema isn't meant for everyone, and that's not true.' 'FESTIVAL EXPOSURE IS NOT JUST ABOUT PRESTIGE' Natesh emphasises that international screenings offer much more than accolades. 'Global exposure helps attract distributors and allows indie filmmakers to recover costs and sustain their craft. With Kurka , Ganesh, and I are working toward a theatrical release. Just because a film is atmospheric and experiential doesn't mean it lacks intensity or emotion. Even fast-paced, algorithm-driven content tries to create mood — so why draw boundaries?' he asks. As a filmmaker, I'm committed to telling stories that reflect my voice and sensibility. As an actor, my only question is — does this story resonate with me? Natesh 'AS AN ARTISTE, I FOLLOW THE STORY, NOT THE LABEL' Natesh says, 'As a filmmaker, I'm committed to telling stories that reflect my voice and sensibility. As an actor, my only question is — does this story resonate with me? I don't care if it's regional, experimental, or mainstream,' he avers. Natesh recently appeared in the Malayalam film Rifle Club, and has an upcoming Bollywood project with Anurag Kashyap. 'I've been approached for a satirical comedy and a love story set in the world of crime. I'm excited — these are new territories for me.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Expert flags flaws in compensatory afforestation policy
The existing policy of approving tree-felling at a project site and approving compensatory afforestation elsewhere came in for criticism by a tree expert, here on Sunday. S. Natesh, a botanist who retired as a senior advisor in the Department of Biotechnology, government of India, said that the practice was scientifically flawed, though it is promoted by the Forest Department of various States and even the courts approve it. Raising serious concerns about the practice, Dr. Natesh, who is also the author of 'Iconic Trees of India', questioned the logic behind felling fully grown, decades-old trees in the name of development and attempting to offset the damage by planting saplings elsewhere. 'A tree that is 80 or 100 years old cannot simply be replaced by planting ten or even a hundred saplings,' said Dr. Natesh. The ecological value, carbon sequestration capacity, and biodiversity support provided by such old trees are incalculable. To derive the same benefit as that of the trees that are felled, the saplings have to mature into trees, provided they survive, he added. He also criticised the practice of compensating for tree loss in one location by afforesting a distant area, calling it a flawed strategy that fails to address local ecological imbalances. His remarks are significant in view of the Forest Department's plan to plant 400 saplings for the 40 trees felled on the Hyder Ali Road. But the Forest Department authorities have stated that not all saplings will be planted in one area due to space constraints. The issue is of immediate significance to Mysuru as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has sought clearance for the diversion of 137.5 acres of forest for the Mysuru-Kushalnagar highway. In all, 691 trees will be felled in Mysuru district, but the compensatory afforestation will take place in Bhutanala village in the Vijayapura district. Conservation activist Giridhar Kulkarni has questioned such a practice and written to the authorities, pointing out that compensatory afforestation far away from the project site will not address local ecological degradation or compensate for the immediate environmental loss caused by the felling of mature trees.
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Action plan suggested to make Mysuru a model city for tree conservation
Peeved by the recent felling of 40 trees for road widening which resulted in public outrage, environmentalists have come together to float an action plan to make Mysuru a model city for tree conservation. As a prelude to it, a meeting was convened here on Sunday by the Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) and S. Natesh, a tree expert who retired as a senior advisor in the Department of Biotechnology, government of India, came up with short, medium, and long-term measures that should be initiated for tree conservation. Dr. Natesh, who is also the author of 'Iconic Trees of India', called for bringing together all stakeholders under a common platform, involving scientists, teachers, students, landscape architects, legal experts on environmental law, etc. He suggested that once such a platform was created, it was imperative to create environmental awareness through a sustained series of activities involving the general public. Dr. Natesh also called for harnessing the potential of social media influencers to spread the message of conservation and get the public involved in larger numbers. As part of the action plan, Dr. Natesh called for a targeted educational campaign in schools and colleges, cultural programmes like street plays and dance-dramas. The focus of the campaign should be to highlight the vital role of trees in sustaining life and preserving ecological balance, he added. Drawing from the example of Uttarkhand, where people tied coloured threads and vowed to protect the trees, Dr. Natesh said it evolved into the Rakshasutra movement, and a similar evocative nomenclature could be thought of, which would resonate powerfully among the local people. 'I envisage public participation in thousands to send a strong message that people are serious about tree conservation,' he said. The other suggestions included declaring old and large trees as heritage trees and evolve the concept of tree tourism around them so as to enhance the green heritage of Mysuru. Creating a digitised registry of iconic trees of Mysuru, appointing tree wardens in every locality to ensure their safety and continuous monitoring of their health etc. to ensure community participation in tree protection were a few other proposals made during the meeting. Calling for organising Mysuru Tree Festival, Dr. Natesh cited the example of similar events being held in other parts of the world and said that it was one way of celebrating trees and ensure their protection. The organisers said that through these multifaceted efforts, it was possible to position Mysuru as a model for tree conservation. Bhamy V. Shenoy, founding president, MGP, representatives of various NGOs, environmentalists, etc., were among those present.
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Award-winning Kannada filmmakers Natesh Hegde and Ganesh Hegde collaborate for ‘Kurka'
Ganesh Hegde, the State-award winning Kannada filmmaker, has announced his next. The Kannada film, titled Kurka, stars actor-filmmaker Natesh Hegde, Avinash, Vijay Raghavendra and Anupama Gowda in prominent roles. Kurka, billed as a crime drama, is produced by Aghor Motion Pictures and Fox & Friends, founded by Natesh and Ganesh. The duo aims to create meaningful and relevant stories from the banner. Jahangir MS, GB Bharath, Sindhu Herur, Nagaraj Hegde and Shwetha Desai are the other actors in the movie. Charan Raj is the music composer while Ganesh has handled the cinematography as well. Shreyank Nanjappa is the sound designer while Natesh has done the editing. 'Kurka revolves around Munna , a young rebel and son of ex soldier-turned-quarry worker. He gets trapped in local power game and struggles to overcome a personal. In his attempt to handle the challenging situation, Munna goes through the test of truth, leading to his surreal transformation,' said Ganesh about his movie. Currently in the post-production stage, Kurka was completely shot in Honnavar. Ganesh's feature debut, Neeli Hakki, won the State Award for the Best Directorial Debut in 2020. The film was co-produced by Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi and screened at NYIFF, IFFSA and IFFI Goa among other reputed film festivals. ALSO READ:Kannada film 'Vagachipani' (Tiger Pond) wins Special Jury Mention at Spirit of Fire Festival, headed by Emir Kusturica Meanwhile, Natesh, who made his critically acclaimed debut Pedro, followed it up with Vagachipani (Tiger Pond), starring Achyuth Kumar, Gopal Hegde and Dileesh Pothan. The movie premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year.
