CHASTITY AND CHAUVINISM IN A BATTLE ROYALE

The celebrated British author, JK Rowling once said: “Family is a life jacket in the stormy sea of life.” That gets one to ask the moot, yet mischievous question: What happens when that life jacket deserts you? The answer, I guess, is left to one's imagination.

'ಗುಣಸಾಗರಿ' (Gunasagari) is a 1953 Black-and-White Kannada film, which looks at the importance of 'trust', the very bedrock of 'family'. Produced by the legendary Gubbi Veeranna, it is an 'early-years' beau ideal. One may well add, that the flick belongs to an era when the motion picture industry of Karnataka was nascent. Yet, movie makers had an innate sense of drama; they knew how to weave magic on stage. That skill was used to the hilt for creating classics on celluloid. And, why not? They had great epics, such as Ramayana and Mahabharata, to provide them with ample inspiration.

The plot features the female protagonist, Gunasagari (Pandari Bai)– grace 'n beauty personified, she is a paragon of virtue too. Besotted with primal instincts, a rich man, Nirguna (TS Balaiah) falls head over heels for Guna. In a twist of fate though, she weds his elder brother, Mallanna (Honnappa Bhagavatar) instead. Once Mallanna travels to a far off land for trade. Unable to control his lust and infatuation, Nirguna torments a pregnant Guna and drives her away on the accusation of adultery.

What happens when Mallanna returns? Can Guna prove and protect her threatened chastity? Does good triumph over evil?

That provides the recipe for a compelling, immersive narrative of women emancipation in a patriarchal society.

The doyen of Kannada cinema, HLN Simha is outstanding with his direction and screenplay. Pandari Bai's angelic screen presence is matched only by her impeccable acting. Honnappa Bhagavatar and TS Balaiah are exceptional in their portrayal of the two brothers. The cinematography, particularly the use of light and shadow, is exemplary. The music is delightfully soft and melodic.

The long, three-hour flick is one for the connoisseur, who is patient enough to tolerate the slow pace!

My rating: 7.5 on 10!


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