ABOUT LIFE AT SIXTEEN GOING ON SEVENTEEN
The
Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist, George
Bernard Shaw had apparently said: “First
love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity.” Perhaps he got it wrong, for some may argue it is all about “a little curiosity and a lot of foolishness”.
"ಗಂಟುಮೂಟೆ"
(Gantumoote - meaning “Baggage”),
a critically acclaimed and award-winning Kannada film, explores the
theme of innocent “puppy love” and its ramifications. Set in the
last decade of the previous millennium, the movie boldly, yet subtly
deals with the relationships of a teenaged high school student,
Meera, who finds a resemblance between Salman Khan and Madhu, her
classmate.
That
“basal attraction” leads to romantic involvement between the two.
But wait! It is no eye-candy, romance, but a tale of hormonal rush
and pubescent crush at school– replete with an amalgam of coy
glances, awkward kisses, sheepish guilt, boorish bullies and much
more...exam blues and burning of midnight oil too being in the mix.
Roopa
Rao, the writer, producer and (debutante) director, has portrayed
the narrative refreshingly
from the perspective of the protagonist, Meera. She has handled
scenes with sensual, if not sexual, undertones with purity,
honesty, sincerity, sensitivity
and, most commendably, without
any cheap nudity or crass vulgarity.
It is commendable that she has not succumbed overly to commercial
drives.
Both
Teju Belawadi and Nischith Korodi dazzle in their respective roles as
the two love-smitten teenagers. The background score is alright.
Despite the excellent screenplay, the pace is a tad slow and tedious,
courtesy the editing, I suppose.
The
climax is befitting of the dramatic buildup. Its message: eerily
loud and lucidly clear...specifically
for every parent and school-going teen! But, then the “A-Rating”
is the show-stopper.
On
the whole, the film is a most compelling
watch.
I
rate it conservatively as 8.0
on 10!
Comments
Post a Comment