For Aryan Shetty , a native of the town of Puttur on Karnataka’s Karavali coast, storytelling has always meant staying grounded in the soil he grew up on. Having been a part of the Kannada film industry since 2014 — with a foray into Tulu cinema as well — Aryan has long nurtured the dream of bringing the culture of his homeland to the big screen. “So when the time came for me to go mainstream with my acting and step into direction, I didn’t want to look beyond my home for inspiration,” says Aryan. His upcoming, yet-to-be-titled film draws from Koli Katta — a traditional rural sport in Karavali that involves rooster fights. It is set in the 1990s backdrop of Puttur, says Aryan, adding that “it captures the raw, rustic charm of coastal life , complete with the presence of local rowdies”. “I play an everyday man whose biggest passion is Koli Katta, which he indulges in every evening,” he says.
‘AFTER KANTARA, INTEREST IN KARAVALI’S LANGUAGE, ART, AND CULTURE HAS SURGED’
Aryan shares, “I see a real shift in the way people perceive tales from this part of the state. The language, the art forms, the cultural richness— everything about Karavali has seen a surge in interest, especially after Kantara. As filmmakers, I think we work best when we have a strong grip on stories that come from our own region.”