ALL THAT GLITTERS IN THE WEST IS NOT GOLD

Rudyard Kipling, wrote eloquently in a poem: “...East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet...” He perhaps forgot that nothing can stop a good story from conjoining the two cardinal directions.

'ಅಮೇರಿಕಾ! ಅಮೇರಿಕಾ!' ('America! America!') is a1995 Kannada family drama that connects, nay, juxtaposes the Orient with the Occident on a socio-cultural and economic canvas. It not only won critical appreciation, but also met with great commercial success.

Written by the director, Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar, the plot revolves around bosom childhood friends in a coastal village of Karnataka– Surya (Ramesh Aravind), Shashank (Akshay Anand) and Bhoomi (Hema Panchamukhi). Each one has a different outlook towards life, not to mention disparate goals and aspirations. Shashank has a modern bent of mind; enamoured by Western culture, he flies out to the United States in search of a better career. Surya is poles apart; being traditional, he values Indian customs and heritage. Bhumika is the level-headed link between the two thick as thieves buddies.

But then, a love triangle forms and puts a spanner in the works of their friendship. The narrative deals with interpersonal relationships when mistrust dominates the discourse. The film gives a spoofy peek, generous amount of dramatisation and sterotyping notwithstanding, into the lives of emigrant Indians in the US. It attempts to project, through an 'other-side-is-always-greener prism', the hollowness of familial structures and societal values there.

Chandrashekar's screenplay and direction are on the money. The pace is relaxed, but not boring. The dialogues are aptly written for the bitter and the light moments that unravel on the big screen. Ramesh Aravind has given a standout performance. The supporting cast too is commendable; HG Dattatreya is outstanding, as usual. Mano Murthy is exceptional on debut with his music compositions.

The film is a good watch.

My rating is: 8.0 on 10!