Feature debutant Natesh Hegde’s “Pedro,” which has its world premiere at Busan’s New Currents strand and has subsequent play dates at the BFI London Film Festival, explores the theme of outsiders in society.
Pedro is a taciturn electrician who lives in a small village at the foothills in western India. He does odd jobs and is often inebriated. A series of events set off by Hegde’s involvement sets off a chain reaction that exposes prejudices in society.
“A lot of things in the film are derived from my life or life around me,” Hegde told Variety. “Particularly ‘Pedro’ is a story of a person struggling to fit in the social norms. I have a fascination towards them. Many times I also struggled for acceptance so, when I thought of making a film, this subject was the first thing that occurred to me.”
“I was trying to look at how a person with power can manipulate the community and the mob mentality,” said Hegde. “This is not only limited to small towns. It’s everywhere.”
“Pedro” Rishab Shetty Films is producing the film. Rishab Shetty Films is Rishab Shetty’s production outfit. Shetty is a highly respected director in Kannada cinema and supports independent cinema. Raj B. Shetty, actor and director introduced Hegde to Shetty. “Rishab Shetty got involved at the earlier stages and was excited by listening to the story,” said Hegde. “Even though he practices different kinds of film he has a concern that there must be diversity in films. It was not that tough to raise financing because Rishab backed the film.”
The cast of “Pedro” includes Gopal Hegde, Ramakrishna Bhat Dundi, Raj B. Shetty, Medini Kelamane and Nagaraj Hegde.
“Pedro” was one of the projects that won at India’s Film Bazaar in 2019.
Hegde’s selection at top festivals like Busan or London is a great boost. “It’s really heartening that Busan, London and many other festivals showed great interest in the film,” said Hegde. “It gives strength to express more freely. The festivals are not just impressed by the subject, but also appreciating the form of the film that is a validation to our efforts in the cinematic medium.”
Hegde’s next task is to adapt a Kannada story by Amaresh Nugudoni. Another about the division of a family, which is also partly inspired by his own life. Both are currently in the scripting stage.
Natesh Hegde