Dayal Padmanabhan to direct documentary on Lake Man Kaamegowda

Director Dayal Padmanabhan is coming up with a documentary film on Sri Kaamegowda. It will be produced under the banner of D Pictures and Om Production House. Titled The Good Shepherd, the documentary will be made in Kannada and English. Through this project, the director wants Kaamegowda’s achievements to reach a worldwide audience.

Popularly known as the Lake Man or Pond Man, the 84-year-old shepherd hailing from a remote village in Mandya district has been digging ponds quietly on a barren hill near his village for four decades now. His work has become the inspiration for the Aa Karaala Ratri director to come up with a documentary. Kaamegowda recently got national attention after he was mentioned in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat, and also talked about by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Kaamegowda, who also appreciated actor Yash’s Yasho Marga initiative for water conservation, has also expressed his desire to meet the KGF hero and has invited him to visit his village. Dayal says, “The idea of capturing his works came to my mind after I read an article in The New Indian Express, and learned about his achievements. I later interacted with Kaamegowda, who has given the green signal to this project.”

Dayal will start shooting this week. The documentary is jointly produced by Dayal Padmanabhan and Avinash U Shetty, while the script was written by Abhishek and Venkat Dev. The technical crew includes cinematographer B Rakesh, music composer Manikanth Kadri, and editor Raghunath.

“I am planning to have the documentary released on various streaming platforms. I will also prepare to send it to national and international documentary festivals. I intend to have his achievements reach worldwide,” Dayal says.