AN ODE TO AGELESS ART AND ITS ARCHITECT

The Italian polymath, Leonardo da Vinci expressed very eloquently: "Beauty perishes in life, but is immortal in art.” Insightful words that resonate well with us all for sure! 

“ಅಮರಶಿಲ್ಪಿ ಜಕಣಾಚಾರಿ” (‘Amarashilpi Jakanachari’, which translates to ‘Immortal Sculptor Jakanachari’) is a 1963 Kannada film on the life of an extraordinary sculptor, Jakanachari, who apparently lived in the 12^th Century CE and is credited with building several Kalyani Chalukya and Hoysala temples endowed with intricate carvings. The biopic was a popular success and was remade in Telugu (Amarashilpi Jakkanna).

Born in a small village, Kaidala in Tumkur District of the State of Karnataka, Jakanachari (Kalyan Kumar) becomes a master artisan.  Shortly after his marriage, he leaves home to dedicate his life to art and sculpture. Deeply engrossed in his work, he abandons his pregnant wife, Manjari (B Saroja Devi).

Despite encountering many obstacles, Jakanachari is undeterred; he single-mindedly pursues his passion. Eventually he attains fame in the field. His son, Dankanachari (D Raghavendra Rao) becomes a master sculptor too and joins the construction team at the Belur temple site.

Soon Dankanachari discovers a flaw in the sculpted idol of Lord Chennakeshava. An infuriated Jakanachari refutes the allegation and challenges Dankanachari to prove it.

That sets up the story-telling for a nice climax.

BS Ranga, a doyen of the Kannada film industry, has directed a true gem that is rich in artistic elements and dramatic content. Penned by Shyamala Devi, the flick narrates the story of an artist, who was the epitome of perfection in his craft and reached the pinnacle of glory.

Balasubramanyam’s screenplay is rendered with all the trappings typical of such period piece films. S Rajeswara Rao has relied heavily on Carnatic classical music, as one would expect, to compose the film score and soundtrack. All songs are musical chartbusters. BN Haridas has used color film for his top-shelf camerawork― a first for Kannada movies. Editing is alright.

Kalyan Kumar, as the titular protagonist, is at his dramatic and expressive best. Other veterans in the cast, such as, B Saroja Devi, Udaykumar, V Nagaiah, Dhoolipala, Narasimharaju, HR Shastry, etc., too have given their best. The flick features J Jayalalitha in a dance sequence.

I rate this historical drama, a biopic: 8.0 on 10!