ABOUT GANDHIAN MORES IN MODERN SOCIETY

Sandy Meisner, the great acting instructor and exponent of the “Meisner Technique” (an acting approach), said: “acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances”. Great advice for budding actors; the saying correlates pithily and eloquently the 'reel' and 'real' worlds.

The award-winning Kannada film "ಕೂರ್ಮಾವತಾರ " ('Koormāvatāra', Lord Viśnu second reincarnation), released in 2011, delves into what transpires when an actor's 'reel life' encroaches into the realm of his 'real world'. And, in doing so, the movie explores the watering down, to the point of irrelevance, of Gandhian values in modern society.

Based on a short story written by Veerabhadrappa Kumbar (popularly known by his pen name, KumVee), the drama revolves around the life of Anand Rao, a widowed government employee, who is cast to portray Mahatma Gandhi for a television serial. The diligent, mild-mannered public servant grapples with the challenges of assuming the distinct personality and reproducing the emotions required for the role. Rao goes about reading about the life and tenets of Gandhi and discovers that embracing his values in real-life is tougher.

Girish Kasaravalli, an auteur par excellence, has directed the film exceptionally well. The screenplay is gripping; the pace is tedious at times. The music is unobtrusive, but average. The cinematography is adequately fluid and engaging.

Dr. Shikaripura Krishnamurthy's acting in the lead role is exemplary. Veteran Jayanthi too has done her part with consummate ease. The film's climax is a bit of a damp squib; it falls short of delivering what the fascinating plot promises.

This super-duper offbeat film is a must watch.

My rating: 8.5 on 10!

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