UNSEEN WOUNDS DEEPER THAN THOSE THAT BLEED

The Canadian poet, Atticus said poignantly that depression is akin to 'being colour blind and constantly told how colourful the world is.' “ಆಘಾತ" ('Aaghaata', which means: “Shock”) is a 1995 Kannada film, which has depression for its theme. The psychological drama is based on Dr. Ashok Pai, a practising psychiatrist's novel. Critics and movie buffs received the film well.

Usha (Sruti) is going steady with her classmate Vikas (Srikant) unbeknownst to her conservative family. Her father, a retired teacher, tries to get her hitched to a successful, US-based engineer. Vikas intervenes to ensure that the matrimonial alliance falls apart; but soon, he deserts Usha when his domineering father demands dowry from the girl's family.

Dumped Usha goes into depression; but, after counselling, she joins a charitable organisation dedicated to ecological preservation. She soon loses her heart again to Francis (Suresh Heblikar), the head of the outfit. As a quirk of fate though, Francis gets gruesomely murdered. Usha again becomes a mental wreck.

That is when Vikas pops up. With medical help, Usha returns to normalcy. She ties the nuptial knot with Vikas and begets a child.

A fairy tale ending, right? Nope. Married life opens the Pandora's box for Usha.

Director Suresh Heblikar has come up a brilliant film, which helps disseminate awareness about as serious a malady as post-partum depression, which afflicts many women. The film's screenplay is a tad long-winded; the director would have done well to present a clean-cut film with less melodrama. Vijay Bhaskar's background score is apt for the sequences in the flick. On the technical front, the movie scores reasonably well; editing is the Achilles heel though.

All actors, in particular, Sruti, have put up competent renditions of their respective roles. Girish Karnad is good in his cameo.

I rate it: 8.5 on 10!