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The first Kannada film to be crowdfunded by the public is this psychological thriller drama. Written, co-edited, and directed by Pawan Kumar, it stands as a landmark in Indian cinema for its unique funding approach and compelling narrative. Published: December 26, 2024 1:34 PM IST By We came across a Kannada movie that was entirely crowd-funded by over 100 investors.
The film had a budget of Rs 71 lakh, and 70% of the funds were raised by regular people contributing, with the director promising to return their investment along with appropriate profits. Remarkably, the budget was secured in just 10 days! The director explained that traditional investors wouldn’t accept his script, prompting him to turn to crowd-sourcing. Released in theaters on September 6, 2013, the film was a gripping suspense thriller.
It was widely appreciated not only in India but also around the world. Even before its Indian release, the movie made waves at international film festivals, generating significant buzz and anticipation. We are talking about , a Kannada-language psycho-thriller drama written and directed by Pawan Kumar.
The film starred Rishab Shetty, Satish Ninasam, and Sruthi Hariharan in lead roles. The story revolves around Nikki, a theatre assistant suffering from insomnia. After taking a special pill, he finds himself caught in a dreamlike reality that blurs the line between illusion and truth.
Interestingly, the makers of did not spend a single rupee of their own on its production, as the film was entirely crowd-funded. Yet, the movie turned out to be a massive success, with its total earnings crossing Rs 3 crore. holds the distinction of being the first Kannada film to be crowdfunded, made entirely with contributions from the public.
According to Wikipedia, the film’s production cost was just Rs 50 lakh, raised through public donations. The film’s music was composed by Poornachandra Tejaswi, while Siddharth Nuni handled the cinematography. had its world premiere at the London Indian Film Festival on July 20, 2013, where it won the Best Film Audience Choice Award.
Hailed as one of India’s finest suspense films, was shortlisted by the Film Federation of India (FFI) for the country’s submission to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film in 2013. It was later remade in Tamil as Enakkul Oruvan in 2015. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and .
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