Chitra Varga

H P Lovecraft , an American writer, said discerningly: “ The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown . ” ‘ 6-5=2 ’  is a 2013  Kannada movie based on that sentiment. This supernatural thriller, a horror flick to boot, apparently drew its inspiration from the American indie film, ‘ The Blair Witch Project .’ It was critically well received and remade in Hindi ( 6-5 = 2 ) and dubbed into Telugu ( Chitram Kadu Nizam ). The plot revolves around paranormal activities during an adventurous camping expedition up a densely forested hill. Most of the trekkers die in macabre, blood-curdling incidents during the trip. Their ordeal is recorded on a trekker’s camera, which is recovered during the rescue operation. Debut writer and director KS Ashoka is refreshingly brilliant with his story-telling…albeit in the first half. He lets the viewer down once the bizarre and the grotesque of the metaphysical takes over ...

Bhagat Singh, the Indian martyr, a famous revolutionary and freedom fighter, said eloquently and insightfully: “ Bombs and pistols do not make revolution. The sword of revolution is sharpened on the whetting-stone of ideas. ” No doubt, those ideas take birth in the minds of writers and are nurtured with the pen. “ ಮೈಸೂರು ಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ” ( ‘Mysooru Mallige’ , which translates to ‘Jasmine of Mysooru’) is a 1992 Kannada film, which won countless state and national awards. Based on reputed poet KS Narasimhaswamy’s soulful, splendid poetry― a first of its kind― the movie was critically acclaimed. Set in Colonial India, the period drama was a runaway success commercially. The female protagonist, Padma (Sudharani) is a coy, carefree girl, who loses her heart to Manjunatha alias Manju (Anand), a school teacher. A fervent patriot, Manju’s pastime is poetry, which is rich in literary elegance and aesthetic appeal. A village accountant and instrument of British India’s feudal system, Padma’...

Someone once said: ‘Revenge is always sweet; it is the aftertaste that is bitter’ . Perhaps! But then, the bitterness too gratifies and satisfies, does it not? “ ಸೀತಾರಾಮು ” (‘Seetharamu’) is a 1979 Kannada film based on the twin themes of retribution and reincarnation. Based on a core plot of brain transplant, the romantic drama― a science fiction fantasy of sorts― was a megahit at the box-office; it proved to be a musical bonanza too. It was remade in Telugu ( Seethe Ramudaithe ) and Hindi ( Diya Aur Toofan ). The male protagonist Ramu (Shankar Nag) is an upright and diligent engineer. His friend, Dr. Dayal (Sundar Krishna Urs) is obsessed with his research on brain transplantation. Seetha (Manjula) is Ramu’s romantic pursuit; he gets betrothed to her. Unfortunately though, Ramu refuses to turn a blind eye to his employer’s corrupt and crooked ways. His exploits against the notorious gangsters gets him killed. Revenge no doubt is a powerful motivator. So Seetha then exacts reven...

The great theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein observed insightfully, ‘ only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. ’ Indeed when the ego comes into play, human associations begin to strain; more so in marital relationships. “ ನಾ ಮೆಚ್ಚಿದ ಹುಡುಗ ” (“ Naa Mecchida Huduga” , which translates loosely to “(The) Boy  I Adored” ) is a 1972  Kannada film that was a great commercial success. Based on PS Vaidyanathan’s story titled “ Divorce in Indian Style ”, the romantic drama was remade in Tamil as “ Kattila Thottila ”. Bhaskar Rao (Ashwath) is an advocate married happily to Dr. Leelavathi (Leelavathi). The duo has a daughter, Pramila a.k.a. Pammi (Kalpana), who is in a romantic relationship with Gopinath (Srinath). Unaware of their daughter’s love, the two parents agitate over the choice of a suitable bridegroom for Pramila. Unable to settle their dispute amicably, they even reach the brink of divorce. That is when a clo...