WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

“As you sow, so do you reap,” is a well-known pithy saying. Karma– or, action for an action, good or bad, as author Stephen Richards put it– does work in mystical, mysterious ways.

“ಉಂಡೂ ಹೋದ ಕೊಂಡೂ ಹೋದ” [‘Undu Hoda Kondu Hoda’, which translates loosely to “Ate and Went; Took and Went”] is a 1992 Kannada film that weaves its plot around karmic reaction to one’s misdeeds. The satirical comedy won several awards; it was critically well received too.

The male protagonist of the film, Krishna (Anant Nag) dupes simple, trusting village folk of their monies by pretending to be a ‘cow inspector’ and making false promises about the milk yields of imported cows. He even has a fling with Rukmini (Tara), a spunky belle. But then, he too falls prey to a honey-trap and loses all his ill-gotten money.

This flick is Nagathihalli Chandrashekar’s debut directorial endeavor. The rough edges are apparent; a few sequences are overly dramatized for some cheap, avoidable laughs. Thankfully the creative content is kept on a tight leash for most part of the script and screenplay. Chandrashekar’s brilliance comes across most radiantly in the orchestration of the core, ‘easy-come-easy-go’ theme.

Veteran Anant Nag, one of India’s finest actors, is AMAZING in his portrayal; he can pull off any role with consummate ease. Tara, Maanu, Anjali Sudhakar, Vijay Kashi, Girija Lokesh, Tennis Krishna, et al lend able support in creating the aura and ambience of a small village far out in the backwoods.

Veteran Vijay Bhaskar has composed the music aptly, with a distinct rural feel and flavour, for the lyrics of Nagathihalli Chandrashekar and KS Narasimhaswamy. The other aesthetic elements are modestly rendered.

The big takeaway of the flick is best described with what someone said: “How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”

I rate this romantic comedy, a parody: 7.5 on 10!