Pruthvi Ambaar gets his first film release of 2023 with Dooradarshana

If you were to tell youngsters today that not so long ago, televisions were a matter of luxury and that the only source of entertainment was Doordarshan, they’d probably be aghast and not believe it. But that is exactly how it was and a Kannada film is exploring this scenario. Filmmaker Sukesh Shetty’s upcoming film, Dooradarshana, which has Pruthvi Ambaar in the lead, is about how the relationship dynamics between members of a joint family change after they get a television in the household.

In an interaction with the Times of India, Sukesh had explained that in the 80s and even early 90s, not every household had a television and those who had would have to host a whole host of people from the neighbourhood to catch prime time serials, news telecast, and, of course, movie screenings and film music programmes. This, however, also meant that those households rarely ever had a moment to themselves, as someone or the other would always be around to watch something on the telly. This social activity was quite inconvenient for many, he reasons.

Sukesh’s film, which is set to release in theatres on March 3, is set in the 80s. He took to social media to announce the release date, writing, “Just a small thread, As a story, As a story of a picture, Be the characters, Be a dream of a team, Time to reach you as a beautiful movie.. In "Doordarshana" movie theaters from March 3... May your love and blessings be on our team as always.”

Dooradarshana, which pairs Pruthvi with Ayana, also has Ugramm Manju, Harini, Karthik and Suraj on the cast. The film was extensively shot across locations in the coastal belt, especially Puttur. Pruthvi, for whom Dooradarshana will be the first release of the year, has been quoted as saying that he felt drawn to the subject of the film as it was soulful.