THE PATH TO SELF-REALISATION

“My imagination is a monastery; and, I am its monk,” wrote the English poet extraordinaire, John Keats. That imagination on occasion manifests in movie about a monastery though.

"ಮಠ" ('Matha', the term for 'Hindu denominational monastery') is a 2006 Kannada film, which was a commercial success. The black comedy received thumbs-up from fans and critics alike; it won a few awards too.

It has a theme that provokes thought and forces introspection in the audience. Little wonder then that the path-breaking flick has become an inflection point in mainstream movie-making; over time, it has assumed the status of a cult classic.

The story revolves around the monkey business in a monastery; and, the waggishness of its monks. The film’s male lead, Venkatesha, alias Upakathe Govindu (Jaggesh), a taxi-driver, gives an account of past occurrences at a monastery, which runs an orphanage for differently-abled children.

Unable to desist from worldly pleasures, the pontiff (Nagathihalli Chandrashekar) of the monastery renounces his austere life. He gets married to his romantic interest of many years. The administrator, Appayya (RN Sudarshan) decides to advertise the vacancy in local dailies and invites applications from interested persons for the position of pontiff.

Six good-for-nothing candidates apply and vie as apprentices for the prestigious position. Interspersed with a kaleidoscope of sub-plots, the narrative presents the ordeals of the applicants in their quest for success; in the process, they discover their true callings in life. Their boisterous revelry and mischievous antics usher several comical moments though. Eventually, they all undergo transformational experiences.

Director Guruprasad has created a masterpiece in his debut essay. Notwithstanding some double entendre dialogues, his satirical script is crisply written; it is soul stirring too. The director himself has a cameo in the movie, wherein he breaks the fourth wall in a few scenes. The time jumps and multi-threaded narration are stitched seamlessly into the non-linear screenplay– yet, it drags a little though.

The ensemble cast, with veterans Jaggesh, RN Sudarshan, Vaijanath Biradar, Tabla Nani and others, has acted commendably well. The standout performance is that of Sudarshan, who has portrayed his role with poise and dignity.

The background score and camerawork are apt, but not extraordinary. However, the flick surely suffers because of some sloppy editing.

The black comedy poignantly, and philosophically too, depicts that control over human emotions and weaknesses– such as anger, lust, envy, desire and greed– is a necessary prerequisite for renunciation.

Nothing trivial or banal about that message, right!

I rate this comedy: 7.5 on 10!