'Made in Bengaluru' is our humble tribute to the city and its vibrancy - Filmmaker Pradeep Shastry

"Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears," wrote the inimitable Italo Calvino in Invisible Cities and one couldn't think of a better way to describe the heart of Bengaluru. From being a modest cross between a small town and a city-in-prospects, Bengaluru's rise over the past few decades has been fuelled mainly by passion and a strong urge to think "outside the box".In the same vein, the city's consistent battle for a specific identity has brought about a unique melting pot of cultures which, in many regards, is unique to Bengaluru and it is this very aspect, so to speak, that has inspired filmmaker Pradeep Shastry for his debut project. Aptly titled 'Made in Bengaluru', the film traverses the modern-day city's dynamic work culture and its penchant to dream big through a joyful principal cast and an intricately woven dramatic story.
"The film mainly follows a dreamer who gives up his plush IT job for his start-up idea and what ensues is his struggle and desperation to find investors and how each attempt nudges him in a new direction, only to finally bring him back "home". There is a certain "motherly spirit" to the city which cares for you and looks after you even when you make mistakes - I suppose that is why the city becomes home to every outsider so easily. Beyond the lovely weather and stuff, Bengaluru is a place that's very accepting and encouraging, just like one's mother, and it is this spirit that we have tried to capture with our film," shares the film's writer-director Pradeep Shastry in an exclusive chat.

And to truly encapsulate the city's cultural fusion, Pradeep and Co. have opted for an exciting cast that comprises veterans like Ananth Nag, Prakash and Sudha Belawadi, and Saikumar along with Madhusudan Govind, who plays the film's protagonist. Each character, Pradeep shares, has a distinct charm and idiosyncrasy and one gets to such kind of vibrancy only in Bengaluru. "Even historically speaking, Bengaluru has always invited businessmen from outside to work and trade here so the whole start-up culture stems from that in many ways. Thereby, our story's protagonist encounters a wide variety of characters who pass on wisdom in their own quirky ways. While Ananth Nag sir plays a Sindhi businessman, Saikumar sir plays"Reddy", a rather flamboyant person, and there are many more such eccentric people you get to meet along the way - cricket aficionados, gangsters, naysayers, all of them" adds Pradeep Shastry, who has been a professional Ad Filmmaker for close to a decade.

The team has already wrapped up production and is currently getting the first copy ready, having completed the dubbing process too. 'Made in Bengaluru' has been produced by Balakrishna B.S. with Ashwin P Kumar composing the music and Shanth Kumar coming in as the editor. Bajarang Konatham has handled the cinematography.