Prathama Prasad’s next is the children’s film, Makkala Thantege Bandre Hushar, that’s centred on the pandemic

The Koodlu Ramakrishna directed film is set in Covid times.

Prathama Prasad joins Shivadwaj in Koodlu Ramakrishna's children's film

Danseuse and actress Prathama Prasad shot for a Kannada film after the first wave of the pandemic, when lockdowns were relaxed. Directed by veteran filmmaker Koodlu Ramakrishna, Makkala Thantege Bandre Hushar, is a children’s film that’s centred on the pandemic and the fact that young kids ended up spending a lot more time indoor and with gadgets. “I play an overprotective mother of a teenage boy. She is also got a millionaire husband who dabbles with the share market. He (played by Shivadwaj) pampers the son immensely and has no control over how much money he spends on the child. I play the bad cop in this dynamic, warning him of the harm that could come from such unlimited lavishness. Then, when the kid gets into trouble, realization strikes the father, and to make matters worse, owing to the pandemic, the market crashes,” says Prathama, adding that the film focuses on four segments/families, and she is part of one

The actress adds that the subjects explored in this film are what most mothers can relate to, especially with children being addicted to gadgets. “Thanks to everything being online for children, they have lost social interaction skills, discipline or the routine that comes with going to school. This film has a good message that irrespective of everything else, your children have to be your priority, while also making sure that you are not spoiling them with unnecessary luxuries. This is, in a nutshell, what Makkala Thantege Bandre Husharu is about,” she says.

As a mother of an eight-year-old, Prathama adds that she could relate to some of what her onscreen character goes through. “It is very important to see how you can keep children active physically and mentally while limiting their screen time. My daughter is still young, and not too much into gagdets, but there are hints of that behaviour creeping in. This is also why I did this film because I could connect to the subject. For instance, prior to the pandemic, I used to teach dance and there were times when mothers would tell me that they were relieved that they could leave the children with me for some time and that they wouldn’t be on a gadget. This was pre-Covid, so imagine how much worse it has become in the two years that everything’s been online. But then, we’ve also got to see what else can the child do?” she says.

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