From school to college - 5 must-watch youth-oriented Kannada films on OTT
Presenting 5 supremely entertaining campus flicks that do not rely on a formulaic love story that should be on your watch list
Apr 11, 2024
From a comedy about disposing a body, to winning a kabaddi tournament or saving a school from shutting down, the subjects of these films are worth a dekko
Campus stories have a special place in Kannada cinema, with pretty much every actor worth his/her salt having played a student at some point. While love stories are the most commonly explored subjects in these films, there are exceptions to this norm and here are a few that we think you ought to watch if you haven’t already.
Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare
Debutant director Nithin Krishnamurthy’s irreverent campus comedy follows a bunch of hostel students who must come up with a way to hide the warden’s body, after he commits suicide and leaves note behind blaming them. The film’s content appealed to actor-filmmaker Rakshit Shetty, who presented it in theatres under his banner, Paramvah Studios.
Streaming on: Zee5
Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare review: Self-aware, superbly inventive, but not in its entirety
Guru Shishyaru
Jadesha K Hampi, who became the talk of town for writing the story of Challenging Star Darshan’s last, Kaatera, had directed a film with Sharan in the lead, about a bunch of youngsters at a school in a remote village and their quest to win a kabbadi tournament. The film had a bunch of star kids onboard, including the children of Sharan, Nenapirali Prem, Bullet Prakash, etc.
Streaming on: Zee5
Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale
Before he became a national sensation with Kantara, Rishab Shetty had made a socio-political comedy drama about a bunch of children trying to save their Kannada-medium school from being shut in Kasaragod. The film won the National Award for Best Children’s Film.
Streaming on: Sun NXT
Padavi Poorva
Director Hariprasad Jayanna presents a campus story set in the 80s, following a bunch of young PUC students. The film is about friendship and how small conflicts cause tensions between them. Whether or not they can overcome this and put their group back together forms the crux of the tale.
Streaming on: Sun NXT
Gantumoote
Directed by Roopa Rao, Gantumoote is a coming-of-age tale following the protagonist, a 16-year-old high school student, her tryst with love and more. The story is told from the perspective of the female protagonist, played by Teju Belawadi.
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
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