Track trauma

Kannada director Nagathihalli Chandrashekar accuses Railway officials of harassment, demands refund of Rs 5 lakh which he paid as security deposit for hiring a train

Hiring a train for five days and forking out Rs 10 lakh for it hasn't been a pleasant experience for director Nagathihalli Chandrashekar.u00a0

"The red tape in the railways department can strangle anyone's creativity," he fumes. "First, I had to get permission from scores of people, who made me wait endlessly. Now, I have been running from pillar to post to get back the security deposit."

The director, who used the train, the services of an engine driver and a single track beyond Mysore for scenes in Olave Jeevana Lekkachaara, says, "I was very keen on using a train in the film because it assumes the dimensions of a living-breathing character. The story begins and ends in the train. I am a huge fan of train journeys. I have travelled across India in trains. I am struck by what happens in a train business deals, romantic trysts, parties, clashes, you name it and it happens in trains in India."

Chandrashekar's fascination with trains first found expression in his short story, Natyarani Shantala. His film, Baa Nalle Madhuchandrake, too was shot in a train as the lead actors travelled from Bangalore to Shimla.u00a0u00a0

u00a0Olave Jeevana Lekkachaara is based on his short story Bhoomi Dundagide, which was published in Mayura Magazine. It has Srinagara Kitti, Radhika Pandit, Daisy Bopanna and Rangayana Raghu playing important roles.u00a0