INTUITION: CONCEPTUAL CLARITY OF THE WHOLE

“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 her paranormal ability reveals poignant tales about a wide spectrum of human emotions, family issues, societal mores and religious beliefs. For instance, the discovery of a prehistoric tool and some burnt bones discloses a story of violence and sustenance― it contrasts the perishing of one life for sustaining another.

Similarly, a small wicker basket, meant to hold betel leaves and nuts, divulges a past comprising of love ‘n affection on one hand; and, lust, amour and abandonment, on the other. Mookajji narrates the basket’s past, which hides secrets of marital rejection and restitution.

Her discussions with Subbaraya encompass creation, sexual preferences and myriad other topics, including the homosexual orientation of Subbaraya’s friend, Anant Rao (Siddarth Madhyamika), which he hides behind a façade of spiritual inclination. She goads him to shed his false pretenses of celibacy and to come out of the closet.

Directed BRILLIANTLY by P Sheshadri, the multi-threaded story has sub-plots intricately woven. He adds intensely philosophical dialogues about destiny and hypocrisy in the screenplay. Nothing is superficial or commercial about his multi-layered narration. The pace is slow, to perhaps allow the deep messages to sink in. The non-linear presentation taxes and calls for the viewer’s rapt attention.

Pravin Godkhindi’s musical score is befittingly soft and serene; GS Bhaskar’s cinematography is a visual feast. The editing could perhaps have been sharper and slicker; but, it would no doubt have eroded the impact of the cinematic content. 

The ensemble cast has been chosen with care and precision. Aravind Kuplikar, Nandini Vittal, Rameshwari Varma, Pragathi Prabhu, Pradeep Chandra, Prabhudeva, and others have done their bit. But, the flick clearly belongs to B Jayashree, who has given a performance extraordinaire.

The result: A celluloid gem that is a great tribute to a literary masterpiece. It reinforces what Abel Stevens, the American writer said: “Genius is clairvoyant.”

I rate this social, philosophical drama: 8.0 on 10!