Hubballi, Oct 31, 2016, DHNS: Three Kannada films, from among 37 films that vied for being showcased in the Indian Panorama Section at the 47th International Film Festival of India in Goa (November 21 to 28), have been picked up by a 13-member jury headed by director and Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy chairman Rajendra Singh Babu.

The three Kannada films, among 26 other Indian films from various languages, are Ananya Kasaravalli’s ‘Harikatha Prasanga,’ Pawan Kumar’s ‘U Turn’ and T S Nagabharana’s ‘Allama’.

Among Kannada films which failed to make the grade are ‘Gaalibeeja’ by Babu Eshwar Prasad, Raam Reddy’s acclaimed ‘Thithi,’ Anant Nag-starrer ‘Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu’ by Hemant M Rao, Shivarajkumar-starrer ‘Santheyali Nintha Kabira’ by Narendra Babu, Nagathihalli Chandrashekar’s ‘Ishtakamya,’ and ‘Last Bus’ by S D Arvinda.

Among 26 films in Indian Panorama are four each from Marathi and Bengali, three from Malayalam and one each from Assamese, English, Hindi, Khasi, Konkani, Manipuri and Tamil. The runaway hit Telugu film ‘Baahubali’ by S Rajamouli has been included, as it won the National Award for Best Feature Film.

The committee, which included actress Rama Vij, among other eminent personalities drawn from various strata of calling, viewed 225 films before the 26 finally made the cut.

Sanskrit film ‘Ishti’ directed by Sanskrit professor G Prabha starring versatile Malayalam actor Nedumudi Venu and debutant Athira Patel will kick off the Indian Panorama Section screenings at the festival.

Three mainstream films - Deepika Padukone-starrer ‘Bajirao Mastani’ by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Airlift’ by Raja Krishna Menon and Salman Khan-starrer ‘Sultan’ by Ali Abbas Jaffar - have also been selected by the panel.

Ananya Kasaravalli, daughter of director Girish Kasaravalli, makes her feature film debut with ‘Harikatha Prasanga,’ which was screened at Busan (South Korea) as also the Mumbai International Film Festival. The film is also participating in the Kerala International Film Festival under the India Cinema Now section.