Film festival favourite Pinki Elli to get a theatrical outing

A news report about babies being rented out to the begging mafia caught the attention of filmmaker Prithvi Konanur, who then spent a few years to flesh it out into a script for a film, as he wanted to understand what happens in the whole process and thereafter. The feature went on to become a film festival darling, notching up several accolades across the globe. Called Pinki Elli (Where is Pinki?), the Kannada film revolves around Bindhushree (Akshatha Pandavapura), a working single mother, who leaves her eight-month-old daughter Pinki in the care of a nanny, Sanamma. Unknown to Bindushree, though, Sanamma makes a few extra bucks on the side by loaning Pinki to a relative, Anasuya, who uses the infant to beg at traffic signals.

The arrangement works well for Sanamma and Anasuya, until one day, the latter loses track of Pinki who goes missing and the duo can’t find her and bring her back to Bindushree. What happens thereafter in the police investigation into the child’s disappearance forms the core of the movie. Prithvi’s movie, though, focuses more on illegal adoption than trafficking.

Since it began its festival outings in 2020, Pinki Elli has had a good run across the globe. The 107-minute-long thriller is now gearing for a theatrical outing. The film, we hear, will be in theatres on March 24, shortly after Ugadi. This is Prithvi’s third feature. His earlier film, Railway Children, was about young ones being vulnerable to drug abuse, sexual harassment and other crimes. The 2016 film won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist in 2016. It was based on a true story, inspired from Lalitha Iyer and Malcolm Harper’s book of case studies, Rescuing Railway Children.