‘Chaali Polilu’ is the DDLJ of the Tulu Film Industry

Chaali Polilu has run successfully for 250 days since its release on October 31, 2014 at a PVR theatre in Mangaluru

A funny scene from the film Chaali Polilu (2014) (Photo: Youtube/Jayakirana Films)

For the director-producer duo of the Tulu film Chaali Polilu (2014), the success of their film was similar to that of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) which has enjoyed an uninterrupted run for two decades.

Film poster: Chaali Polilu (2014)

Confused?

Chaali Polilu (2014) has run successfully for 250 days since its release on October 31, 2014 at a PVR theatre in Mangaluru and this is no ordinary feat for a Tulu film. Produced with a budget of Rs 60 Lacs, the film has broken all records in the Tulu film industry, becoming the first Tulu film in the country to have run for several weeks in a multiplex theatre.

Debutant director Veerandra Shetty Kavoor is a former journalist and was working with a Manguluru based vernacular newspaper – Jayakirana for close to 10 years. Kavoor always wanted to direct a good Tulu film. He found the opportunity he was looking for when his long-time friend and owner of Jayakirana, Prakash Pandeshwar, decided to collaborate with him on Chaali Polilu (2014).

Director Veerandra Shetty Kavoor (L) and his long time friend (and film producer )Prakash Pandeshwar (R) collaborated on Chaali Polilu. 

The film’s title roughly translates into ‘someone who is useless or remains without a job and does nothing for a living’. The story line follows three middle aged friends who are jobless, and find themselves accused of stealing gold ornaments from a temple one day. Given a deadline of 30 days to prove their innocence, the trio set out on a journey and thus begins the humourous story.

The film had raked in Rs 2.5 Crore in revenue till the end of June 2015 and is still ringing the box office cash registers post its release in Mangaluru, Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Bahrain.

The film has also won eight awards for the best direction, best movie, choreography, editing and more at the Tulu Cinemotsava 2015.

It was definitely an overwhelming experience and it was unexpected.
– Veerandra Shetty Kavoor, Film Director

Experienced theatre actors like Devadas Kakipad, Naveen D Padil, Bhojaraj Vamanjoor were roped in for the film.

A funny scene from the film Chaali Polilu (2014)

There is a lot of demand for theatre actors and Tulu films will not be successful unless they are comedy based, so we decided that if we make a film, it must be of this (comedy) genre.
– Prakash Pandeshwar, Film Producer

Pandeshwar also revealed that the Tulu film industry produced about seven films last year, but since the success of Chaali Polilu, there has been a sudden boom in the industry.

Three Tulu films have already been released and at least ten more have begun shooting. They are expected to release this year.
– Prakash Pandeshwar, Film Producer

The industry is now getting financial support from Bengaluru businessmen however, in Pandeshwar’s opinion, there has been no recognition or encouragement from Sandalwood, the Kannada film industry.