Chitra Varga

Many have extolled goodness as a virtue. The American writer, Emerson said: ‘ Wisdom has its root in goodness’ . His compatriot, Thoreau wrote: ‘ Goodness is the only investment that never fails .’ Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy even declared: ‘There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.’ “ ಭುಜಂಗಯ್ಯನ ದಶಾವತಾರ ” (‘ Bhujangayyana Dashavatara ’, which means: ‘ (The) Ten Avatars of Bhujangayya ’) is a 1988 Kannada film that delves into the repercussions of altruism in a modern, materialistic society. Based on the  magnum opus  of novelist, Srikrishna Alanahalli, the social drama won a bushel and a peck of awards for its actors, writer and director Bhujangayya (Lokesh) is a genuine do-gooder in his village, which, unfortunately, is reeling from an acute famine. The incessant failure of the monsoon for several years has alienated him from his ancestral profession of farming. So, he flits like a butterfly from venture to venture for earning a livelihood. ...

Taking a leaf out of Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I have a dream’ speech, the British actor and author, Juno Dawson said: “ I dare to dream of a world where people can dress, speak and behave how they want, free from mockery, derision, judgment, harassment and danger. ” Extremely touching and insightful words! “ ನಾನು ಅವನಲ್ಲ....ಅವಳು ” (‘ Naanu Avanalla...Avalu’ , which transliterates to: “I’m not he...(I am) she ”) is a 2015 Indian  Kannada film based on a transgender, Living Smile Vidya 's autobiographical work “ I am Vidya” . The movie won scores of national and state awards; it premiered in international film festivals too. The drama― it is a tribute to every oppressed, marginalized and under-privileged section of society― is about the everyday struggles of transsexuals. It showcases the life of a young boy, who cherishes his feminine traits and aspires to lead the life of a woman. Madesha (Sanchari Vijay) is a tween living in a small town, who exhibits effeminate beha...

Rudy Giuliani, the New York governor, once quipped: “ It is about time law enforcement got as organized as organized crime” . Indeed, a little bit of order in the rank and file; and, loads of greed and some fear… that is all it takes for organized crime to succeed. “ ಚೂರಿಕಟ್ಟೆ ” (‘ Choorikatte ’) is a 2018 Kannada film about sandalwood smugglers; it garnered critical approval and approbation. Commercially too, the flick had a decent run. Set in Churikatte, a tiny hamlet in the wilderness of densely forested hills, this crime thriller is about an unlawful sandalwood logging racket run by the local thug, Prakash Shetty (Sharath Lohitashwa), and his trusted henchmen, Seena (Balaji Manohar) and Mohana (Pramod Shetty). Despite the diligent efforts of Inspector Ravikanth (Achyuth Kumar), the illegal red sanders trade flourishes, courtesy: the nexus between the smugglers and the local forest officer, Suresh (Manjunath Hegde). High on machismo and silvery quick on repartee, Adi (Praveen Tej), ...

John Kenneth Galbraith, the Canadian-American economist observed: “ Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it’s just the opposite” . Regardless of the paradigm, exploitation happens for, like someone put it ironically, people like to own stuff. “ ಏಳು ಸುತ್ತಿನ ಕೋಟೆ ” (‘ Elu Suttina Kote’ , which literally means: ‘ Seven- Rounded Fortress ’) is a 1987 Kannada film, which has earned cult status. The social drama is loosely based on reputed Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s ‘ Crime and Punishment ’. The film was critically commended; it was a commercial success too. Anand (Ambareesh), a lecturer, is fired from his college due to his radical views on revolution and dogmatic obsession with class struggle. Gopal (Ramesh Aravind) and Rani (Gouthami) are Anand’s friends; the latter harbors romantic feelings towards Anand. In an effort to do his bit in rectifying societal inequities, Anand murders the village pawn-broker, Nagarajaiah (Sundar Krishna Urs). He intends to us...

“ The only real valuable thing is intuition, ” said Albert Einstein. However, any intuition about a past occurrence would be tantamount to speculation . “ ಮೂಕಜ್ಜಿಯ ಕನಸುಗಳು ” (‘ Mookajjiya Kanasugalu’ , meaning: ‘Mookajji’s Dreams’) is a 2019  Kannada  flick based on a novel of the same name penned, Jnanpith awardee, Dr.  Shivaram Karanth . The film deals with intuitive perception about the past. Numerous awards were conferred on this sublime drama about life and death; right and wrong, and more. The drama subsumes many stories on human foibles and frailties. Mookambika, also Mookajji ( B Jayashree ), was married off before she attained puberty, but was widowed within a couple of days of her child marriage. Now an octogenarian, she lives with her brother’s grandson, Subbaraya (Aravind Kuplikar), and his wife, Sita (Nandini Vittal). Mookajji is endowed with extrasensory perception; with her clairvoyance she narrates the story of any object she touches. The faculty of...

Sanatana Dharma is much more than plain vanilla faith; it is a belief system that gives one the liberty to connect with his Maker in his own personal way. It represents the diverse spiritual thought; rich cultural legacy; and, long civilizational history of India. Its sacred texts are a stockpile of ancient knowledge; a repository of timeless wisdom. The Bhakti Movement marks a phase during medieval times when many a saint adopted the path of devotion to the Supreme as a means for achieving moksha . Regimented ritualism was taboo for them. Sant Gora Kumbhar (also Goroba) was one such saint, who lived in Satyapuri village in Maharashtra State,  circa  1267 CE to 1317 CE. A contemporary of Namdev and a potter by profession, Goroba was ardently devoted to Lord Vithala.  “ ಭಕ್ತ ಕುಂಬಾರ ” (‘ Bhakta Kumbara’ ― it translates to: ‘(The) Devout Potter’) is a 1974 Kannada biographical film, which won awards by the dozen; the film which chronicles the life of the saint wa...

The German-born theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein concluded, “ Politics is more difficult than physics .” It is perhaps the reason why there’s more politics in academics than in politics itself. “ ಕಾಲೇಜು ರಂಗ ” (‘College-u Ranga’, which means: ‘College Theatre’) is a 1976  Kannada film based on a novel of the same name authored by BGL Swamy. Critics and cinema fans alike went gaga over the gripping drama laced with light parody about cheap politics, corrupt practices and personality conflicts on campus. Dr. Devayya (Kalyan Kumar), an upright, diligent professor at MSM College, a private educational institution, is elevated as principal. His upward mobility does not go well with his fellow-academic, Adavaiyya (Loknath). But, the college students, which include Ramu (Jayasimha) and Gauri (Padmashree), hold Dr. Devayya in high esteem. The management committee of the institution is headed by a pompous, power hungry and politicking president (GK Govinda Rao), who has turned the camp...

What Ayn Rand, the Russian-American author, wrote in her best-selling novel, ‘ The Fountainhead ’, is often paraphrased into a clarion call for women’s liberation as: “ The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me .” The moot point of the debate on gender justice though is that often women hesitate to raise their voices against the patronizing male. “ ಕಿರಗೂರಿನ ಗಯ್ಯಾಳಿಗಳು ” (‘ Kiragoorina Gayyaligalu ’, which translates to: ‘ Vixens of Kiragooru ’) is a 2016 Kannada film  based on a  novel  of the same name penned by  Poornachandra Tejaswi. The social drama was critically applauded for its refreshingly distinct portrayal of women as not just strong, but also fierce about standing up for each other. The plot is set in the hamlet of Kiragooru, wherein its agrarian community lives in harmony, the odd brawl or bicker among the residents notwithstanding. The village has some feisty, bellicose ladies too. Then, there is shrewd, selfish Heggade (Sh...

A successful marriage, it is said, requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. That is possible only if familiarity, which breeds contempt, is kept under shackles. In a nutshell, relationships can only be built on the bedrock of trust, loyalty, honesty and respect. “ ಪರಮೇಶಿ ಪ್ರೇಮ ಪ್ರಸಂಗ ”   (‘ Parameshi Prema Prasanga’ , which translates to  ‘Parameshi’s Love Affair’ )   is a 1985  Kannada  film that has a plot based on the mistrust-driven souring of strong marital ties. Critics heaped appreciation even as viewers applauded the domestic drama.  Parameshi (Ramesh Bhat) is in blissful wedlock with Ramamani (Arundhati Nag); the couple has a son that they dote over. Parameshi accepts his co-worker, Simha’s (CR Simha) challenge of taking a lady colleague out for lunch. Ramamani takes exception to this; she feigns having an affair to get even with Parameshi. Soon the marriage runs into rough weather– Simha too plays his devious part sowi...

He who allows oppression shares the crime is an old saying. Extrapolating the sentiment one can conclude ‘ not fighting oppression too is the same as docilely allowing it ’. “ ಪಡುವಾರಹಳ್ಳಿ ಪಾಂಡವರು ” (‘ Paduvaarahalli Pandavaru ’ , which means: ‘ The Paduvaarahalli Pandavas ’) is a 1978 Kannada film, which highlights the faults, failures and frustrations that emanate in a feudal society. The movie is an adaptation of the epic, Mahabharata , set in the social, political and economic mise-en-scène of a village. This drama was remade in Telugu ( Manavoori Pandavulu ) and Hindi ( Hum Paanch ). Sangappa (Dheerendra Gopal) is a rich, feudal lord of Paduvaarahalli, who oppressively dominates the local community. He is surrounded by several henchmen― prominent among them is his scheming sidekick, ‘Connection’ Kalappa (Musuri Krishnamurthy). The villagers grovel haplessly before lecherous Sangappa; they suffer untold misery at the hands of the vindictive, manipulative fella and his minions. ...