Natesh Hegde’s much-feted Pedro to get a limited theatrical release shortly

Young Kannada filmmaker Natesh Hegde’s debut feature film Pedro has been doing the rounds of film festivals since 2021 and has been widely feted. The film, which stars Natesh’s father, Gopal Hegde in the lead, is about the social ostracization he faces when he accidentally shoots a cow while trying to get rid of a bothersome wild boar. What he does to be accepted by these people again, forms the crux of the story. Produced by Rishab Shetty, the film is currently winding up its festival commitments, and will be presented as a theatrical release.

“The plan was always to give Pedro a theatrical outing, before taking it to OTT. However, we realize that the audience for a film like Pedro is only a minute fraction of what a commercial movie would enjoy. This is a slow, ultra-realistic film with no commercial elements and will appeal to audiences who frequent film festivals. As such, we will give Pedro a limited theatrical release and then take it to OTT,” said Rishab.

Incidentally, Pedro did not make it to the 2022 Bengaluru International Film Festival, much to Natesh and Rishab’s dismay. The former had gone to the extent of accusing festival organizers of policing curation of films for the event, while Rishab said there was a concerted effort by a section of people to prevent the screening of Pedro.

Natesh, meanwhile, is currently working on his next, which Rishab is co-producing along with the Busan International Film Festival. Called Vaghachipani, this one has Mollywood filmmaker Dileesh Pothan in a pivotal role, along with Gopal Hegde, Raj B Shetty and Gopalkrishna Deshpande. The film, set in a small village, will narrate the story of a young, mentally-challenged shepherdess who gets pregnant. The film is inspired by a short story by Amaresh Nugadoni and is being shot on 16mm camera in Sirsi.