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!

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