THE IDIOCY OF A FEW...AND THE LUNACY OF ONE!

George Orwell, the English novelist, once remarked staidly that a lunatic is perhaps a minority of one. Guess he forgot that often the majority drives the “minority of one” to lunacy. 'ಶರಪಂಜರ'– “Sharapanjara”, meaning “Cage of Arrows”– is a critically acclaimed, award-winning Kannada film released in 1971. It dives deep into the obscure, intricate functioning of the human mind on the inside and its discernible, mysterious connects with human relationships on the outside.

Result: A nonpareil classic...of Puttanna Kanagal, the auteur par excellence! It was later remade in Telugu as 'Krishnaveni'.

The The plot– based on a Kannada novel by the prolific writer of modern fiction, Triveni– has Kaveri (Kalpana), the female protagonist, a smart, educated and sophisticated young lady. She meets the male protagonist, Satish (Gangadhar) at a wedding. The two fall in love and tie the nuptial knot. In due course, Kaveri gets on the family way and the picture perfect couple becomes upwardly mobile. But, during her second pregnancy, Kaveri faces mental health issues linked to past incidents of abuse. Afflicted with post partum depression, she has a nervous breakdown and gets admitted to an asylum.

Thereafter, Kaveri recovers from her ailment and returns home. However, she faces not only familial challenges, but also social callousness. A cloud of suspicion about psychological makeup constantly hovers above her. Satish, who doted on her in the past, too becomes aloof and frosty; infidelity also follows. In short, spite and scorn; apathy and antagonism come to the fore all around.

Puttanna Kanagal's portrayal of stigma associated with insanity and the trauma of the insane is sensitive. The manicuring of cinematic content is soft and balanced enough to ensure impact; the dramatization is generally nuanced.

Kalpana, in the lead role, is lavish, yet subtle with her emotions. She strikes a fine, difficult balance between “less” and “more” in the theatrics, which is kept on a tight leash in a tight-rope-walk like performance. The rest of the cast too is commendable. The music of Vijaya Bhaskar is sublime; cinematography, particularly in the outdoor scenes, is stunning. Wish the film had shed 20-25 minutes of its length though!

I rate the movie: 8.5 on 10!