TO REIN IN EGO, PRIDE AND ANGER

The American humorist Mark Twain opined: “In Hinduism we have the attitude and spirit that can make it possible for the human race to grow together into a single family.” Much of the richness of philosophical thought in Hinduism stems from its sacred texts and the beautiful, bountiful myths therein.

“ಗಂಗೆ ಗೌರಿ” (Gange Gowri) is a 1967 Kannada film based on the intricate story of mighty Lord Shiva’s wedlock with Goddesses Ganga and Gowri in their incarnations on earth.  The mythological drama was remade in Tamil (Ganga Gowri).

The story-telling of the movie is in the form of a traditional discourse to devotees; the narrator, a meta-theatrical character (sutradhara), has an interlocutory role in the prologue and intervenes periodically in the screenplay with his remarks. The narrative also features the story of King Daksha’s yajna (fire ritual) and Goddess Sati’s (Leelavathi) self-immolation.  

The plot commences with Sage Narada (KS Ashwath) boosting Lord Shani’s (MP Shankar) ego with servility and getting him to aspire for Lord Shiva’s (Dr. Rajkumar) status in the pantheon. Of course, the almighty Shiva is an antithesis of Divinity and is indifferent to worldly mores and mannerisms. Despite being conscious of Shani’s shenanigans, the Lord does not interrupt the course of destiny. 

Lord Shani then misuses his powers to create turmoil in the lives of Lord Shiva and His consorts, who are reborn on Earth. Lord Shiva too takes birth as a human and weds Ganga (Bharati) and Gowri (Leelavathi) in their earthly avatars. The flick ends with Lord Shiva, teaching Shani a lesson or two in humility. 

Directed by the legend, BR Panthulu, this film is a dramatic portrayal of the repercussions of the cardinal sins of ego, anger, jealousy and arrogance. He belongs to an extinct group of auteurs who perhaps believed ‘life imitates art’. So, Panthulu has produced a classic film in his efforts to inculcate positive values and morals among the viewers.

AS Nagaraj has jazzed up conflict in his script; his dialogues energize the narrative brilliantly by showcasing the vanity, impunity and pomposity of the characters. The histrionics are a touch too excessive though.

TG Lingappa has scored the film’s music; his mellifluous scores embody strong classical nuances. Technically the film is a contemporaneous masterpiece. The doyen of Kannada cinema, Dr. Rajkumar is EXCEPTIONAL with his rendition; so too are the performances of Bharati, Leelavathi and KS Ashwath― each one is a stalwart of the silver screen. Rest of the cast, comprising of Narasimharaju, Rajesh, Dinesh, B Jaya and others, has supported ably.

I rate this mythological drama: 8.5 on 10!