DESTINY: A MATTER OF CHANCE…AND CHOICE

Some say that we are born not to change destiny, but to fulfill it. Fatalistic opinion, for sure! On the flip side, man often builds grand castles in the air about the future. But, destiny invariably disrupts the plans; blindsides bizarrely and has the last laugh.

“ಗಾಳಿ ಗೋಪುರ” (‘Gaali Gopura’― it translates literally to ‘Wind Tower’, but means ‘Castle in Air’) is a 1962 Kannada film, based on a story penned by the well-known Tamil writer, MS Solamalai. The bilingual drama, a blockbuster, was later released in Telugu (Gaali Medalu). The movie was remade in Hindi (Bharosa) and Malayalam (Kalanjukittiya Thankam).

Ranganna (KS Ashwath) is a rich man who suffers from tuberculosis. Believing to be on his death bed, Ranganna hands over a large sum on money and entrusts his young son, Krishna (Rajkumar) to Govindaiah (R Nagendra Rao).

Avaricious Govindaiah pounces on the opportunity to make a quick buck though; he packs up discreetly and relocates to a new town. His wife Shanthamma (MV Rajamma) soon bears a son, Mohan (Kalyan Kumar). In due course, he becomes a wealthy agriculturist.

Partisan, prejudiced Govindaiah brings up Krishna as an illiterate menial. Contrarily he spends a fortune on Mohan’s education in the city. While kind, good-natured Krishna falls for a neighbor, Lakshmi (Leelavati), Mohan romances Nimmi (Chindodi Leela), the daughter of a rich landlord, Kapinipathi (Balakrishna).

In a quirky twist of fate though, Ranganna gets cured of his illness; and, he sets out in search of Govindaiah and his son. That sets up the film nicely for a soft, stirring climax.

BR Panthulu, a giant from a bygone era of Kannada cinema, is immaculate with his direction. Acclaimed director, Puttanna Kanagal assisted him in this flick. The no-nonsense screenplay of Dada Mirasi is delectably pure; it has a distinct old-world charm about it.

Dialogues of GV Iyer, yet another stalwart, are delectable. The camerawork and editing are dated, no doubt. The narration is such that you get a sense of where the movie is headed; but, that journey does pop up smart feints and unexpected jabs.

TG Lingappa’s original score is stupendous; the lovely music is composed for lyrics of GV Iyer, Purandara Dasa and Vijaya Narasimha. Ghantasala’s rendition of ‘Yaarige Yaaruntu’ is an evergreen classic.

Versatile Dr. Rajkumar and Kalyan Kumar in lead roles have put in splendid performances. The other doyen, Udaykumar too has a brief cameo. Leelavathi, R Nagendra Rao, KS Ashwath, Balakrishna, Narasimharaju and others have supported well.

To paraphrase the US President, Harry Truman’s quote: “Deeds are seeds that grow into destiny.” That appears to be the main theme of this heart-touching movie.

I rate this domestic drama: 7.5 on 10!


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