Harshad Nalawade’s Belagavi-born filmmaker much-anticipated and awaited debut film, Follower (When Politics Destroys Friendship), which premiered globally at the renowned International Film Festival of Rotterdam, is all set to hit the theaters on March 21, 2025.
This film will dive into the the long-standing and complex Belagavi border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra a region that has been marked by the history of deep territorial and linguistic tensions. The city of Belagavi, home to a significant Marathi-speaking population, has long been a focal point of dispute between the two different states.
This movie presents a holding attention and narrative centered on a social media journalist who passionately advocates for Belagavi’s inclusion in Maharashtra, rallying for pro-Marathi sentiments this picture also and explores the political and social dynamics of the dispute. The campaign of the journalist ignites a old controversy of social and political upheaval complex exposing of identity, politics, and belonging.
The powerful story line of the film offers a fresh perspective on the complex motivations behind regional disputes.
The film is inspired from the maker’s personal life and experience of growing up in Belagavi, where he witnessed the ongoing conflict, culture and linguistic division between Maratha and Kannada communities firsthand. Through this film Harshad Nalawade’s want’s to explore the deeper reasons that fuel such intense disagreements over identity and territoriality.
The film boasts a talented and skillful cast that includes Raghu Basarimarad, Donna Munshi, and Harshad Nalawade himself in the movie. This film is shot in Marathi and Kannada with Hindi dialogues. This multilingual approach embraces the region’s linguistic diversity.
Follower is by OrangePixel Studios and Visica Films, in collaboration with Humara Media Labs and Causality Films Production.
The production team includes Maulik Sharma as editor, Saket Gyani as the director of photography, and a team of producers: Vinay Mishra, Preety Ali, Pratik Moitro, Anubhav KR, Pallavi Rohatgi, Maulik Sharma, Charulata Maitra, Harshad Nalawade, and Raghavan Bharadwaj. Co-produced by Charan Suvarna and associate producer Abhishek Gautam, the film is a collaborative effort driven by Nalawade and his college friends, who make up the majority of the crew.
With it’s March release, this movie will explore an important conversations surrounding regional disputes and offer a cinematic perspective on a deeply-rooted issue