Huliyappa is a documentary short by our cofounder and first-time director, Sourabha Rao. It is an Official Selection at the Independent Shorts Awards for June 2025!

Set in the remote hamlets of Karnataka’s Western Ghats, Huliyappa retells the story of the eponymous tiger-deity believed to protect people, cattle and pets from wildlife – particularly tigers, leopards and sloth bears.

Through the journey of Athanu, a child being introduced to Huliyappa (the deity) on the day of Deepavali, the film examines the role of faith in the moving tolerance towards large Carnivora despite livestock losses and human injuries from them. But in the face of our continued alienation from our roots, will we conserve such indigenous wisdom to vouchsafe our ability to coexist with Nature?

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Huliyappa premiered in Bengaluru on 7 June at the Bangalore International Centre, and was screened at ATREE on 11 June. More screenings to follow, in multiple cities. 

If you are, or know, a centre, institution or organisation that would like to screen the film, please contact us.