Ananya Kasaravalli dons the director's hat with 'Harikatha Prasanga'

Looks like there is one more director in the making from National Award winner and Padma Shri Girish Kasaravalli’s family. After his wife Vaishali and son Apurva's work in teleserials and films, his daughter Ananya has made her debut as a full-fledged director in Sandalwood with the film Harikatha Prasanga. 

“The story revolves around an artiste who plays the woman character in the folk theatre form Yakshagana,’’ says Ananya. The film's shooting is expected to begin in October and complete by December this year. 

Producer Basant Kumar Patil, who produced seven national and international award winning films in Kannada, reportedly offered Ananya the opportunity to direct a film produced by his banner Basant Productions while she was a student at the Prasada Film Institute in Chennai. “I am grateful to Basant uncle for having faith in me and will do my best to meet his expectations,’’ says Ananya.

Ananya has previously worked as a costume designer for a few films directed by her father. While pursuing a diploma in direction, Ananya directed a documentary – Devil in the Black Stone – which won an award at the Small Axe Radical Short Film Festival held in England in August last year. The film had also won an award at the Pune International Film Festival held in January 2014.