FORGIVENESS: AN ATTRIBUTE OF THE STRONG

“An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind,” is a saying often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi incorrectly. All the same, this take on the Biblical Hebrew 'eye-for-eye' tenet of retributive justice is no doubt rooted in pacifist ideology.

"ದೇವತಾ ಮನುಷ್ಯ" ('Devatha Manushya', which means 'Divine Man') is a 1988 Kannada film, which was a superhit at the box-office. The social drama won a few awards too.

Krishnamurthy (Dr. Rajkumar) is a sincere, diligent driver, who leads a simple life. He is in a relationship with Jaya (Geetha). Murthy's employer, Kapanipathy (Rajanand), is a man of repute in society; but, there is a dark side to his wealth and success.

Murthy gets falsely convicted in a high-profile case involving heist of treasures from a temple. He is sentenced to a long-term in prison; so, he wants to seek retributive justice.

Does Murthy succeed? Or, does wiser counsel prevail on him?

Director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao has put on celluloid a classy, uplifting film; its message extolling the virtue of 'forgiveness' does your heart good. The histrionics in the story-telling is perhaps a wee bit over the top. But, it makes an impact. His and Chi. Udaya Shankar's screenplay is focused.

Upendra Kumar composed the music, which has a warm and fuzzy feel. Lyrics of the evergreen tracks from the movie are courtesy the creative genius of Chi. Udaya Shankar. The camerawork is alright; the editorial effort should have been stricter.

The versatility of Dr. Rajkumar is on full display; the bona fide legend's rendition is subtle, inspite of the schmaltz in the role. He has acted with dignity and gravitas. Geetha is adorable in her portrayal as the female lead. The supporting cast includes the likes of Ashwath, Kanchana, Sudharani, Shivaram, Rajanand, Sundar Krishna Urs, etc. Each of these actors are adept at adding life to the most mundane of roles.

The crux of the flick is perhaps best described with what someone said: “The noblest kind of retribution is not to become like your enemy.”

I rate this drama about human goodness, a crime drama of sorts too: 8.0 on 10!

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