DESIRE EATS YOU AND LEAVES YOU STARVING

“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it,” said Oscar Wilde, the Irish poet and playwright. "ಎಡಕಲ್ಲು ಗುಡ್ಡದ ಮೇಲೆ” ('Edakallu Guddada Mele', which means: 'Atop the Edakallu Hill'), a 1973 Kannada film based on a novel of author Bharathisuta, is a social drama that explores relationships of “lust, desire and sex”.

Madhavi (Jayanthi) is married to Captain Kumar, a war veteran, who sustained injuries during hostilities; the physical disability in his limbs has also caused impotency. Nanjunda (Chandrashekar) is rich, young and handsome; he has an itch for beautiful women. The playboy sets his eyes on Madhavi and seduces her on a trek; thereafter, he maintains regular sexual relations with her. Despite her guilt-ridden conscience, Madhavi is unable to refrain from the extra-marital affair.

Nanjunda also tries to seduce Madhavi's sister, Devaki (Aarathi), whose moral compass is strong and puritanical. So Nanjunda's prurient, if not devious, attempts to entice and entrap Devaki for his carnal pleasure fail. The narrative explores the sub-conscious impact of actions that infringe familial mores and marital norms. The film pits moral probity against depravity; it explores the psychological fallout of infidelity too given the calculus of morality and propriety within society.

Puttanna Kanagal, the auteur extraordinaire is astute and masterful, as always, with his direction and screenplay. The sexually explicit scenes are picturised with nuance and finesse. Veteran M Ranga Rao's music, composed to some PROFOUND lyrics of Vijay Narasimha, RN Jayagopal et al, is EXCEPTIONAL!

Cast in a negative role, Chandrashekar as the flamboyant womaniser is convincing; so too, are Arathi and Jayanthi, the leading ladies in the flick. The technical elements of the drama are top notch.

The critically-acclaimed and commercially-successful movie is a creative milestone in the history of Kannada Cinema. It is an all-time CLASSIC!

I rate it 8.0 on 10!