DIVERSITY OF WOMANHOOD IN FEUDAL SOCIETY

Someone said: “A strong woman stands up for herself; a stronger woman stands up for everybody else.” True! Strong women stand up for gender equality and justice too. 

“ಕಾನೂರು ಹೆಗ್ಗಡತಿ” (‘Kanooru Heggadithi’, which translates to: ‘Headwoman of Kanooru’) is a 1999 Kannada movie that narrates the story of women in a feudal family and patriarchal society during the pre-independence era. Based on a novel penned by renowned Jnanpith-awardee, Dr. Kuvempu, the flick recreates the customs, couture and culture of the period faithfully. A visual treat, the film found critical appeal and approval; it won a host of awards too.

The movie takes you back to early 20^th Century when British imperialism was waning, even as patriotic and nationalistic fervor was waxing. Inspired by Indian leaders; influenced by the call to freedom; and, with idealism for impetus, the educated youth had begun to rise against feudalism and patriarchy in society.

Hoovayya (Suchendra Prasad) is a liberal, rebellious young man. He is dismissive of religious customs and superstitious practices. Hoovayya’s uncle, Chandrayya Gowda (Girish Karnad), is a typical wealthy landlord and runs a tight ship in the family. Chandrayya’s third wife, Subbamma (Tara), a feisty lady, encourages other women to be defiant against men.

Hoovayya falls in love with Sita (Mallika Prasad); but, Chandrayya conspires to get his son, Ramaiah (Harish Prasad) to marry her with disastrous results. Soon rivalry within the family leads to a partition of their joint property. Feelings of loss, slight and jealousy torment Hoovayya. In due course, Chandrayya dies leaving his legacy behind for Subbamma.

With newfound power, wealth and authority, Subbamma becomes vindictive; her actions portend catastrophe for clan and community. The rest of the tale is about revenge and retribution; disarray and a struggle for dominance.

Legendary director Girish Karnad has assiduously churned the great author, Kuvempu’s masterpiece to create captivating drama, which nonetheless is a bit ‘soap-opera-like’. He has flogged the dead horse of a tacky, patriarchy-oriented theme for the film.  Karnad is guilty too of cherry-picking in the dramatic distillation of the novel; ergo, his screenplay features moth-eaten motifs of a scheming brāhmaṇa priest; a lascivious, wife-beating vokkaliga landlord, etcetera. The stereotyped story-telling takes away some sheen from an otherwise well-crafted film.

BV Karanth’s lilting, folksy score is a highlight― raw and rustic, the minimalistic, but melodious music accentuates the cinematic experience. Shashidhara Adapa’s art direction is a dream; it captures well the socio-familial contours of the period. S Ramachandra’s cinematography makes for a delightful watch; it features lush green landscapes, heavy, torrential downpours and tiled, traditional houses. G Basavaraj Urs’ editing is topnotch too.

Girish Karnad’s acting is MESMERIZING; his portrayal lends realism to the persona of the character played in the film. The female lead, Tara excels in her role of the bellicose Subbamma. Suchendra Prasad is SUPERB too. Prakash Belawadi, GK Govinda Rao, Arundhati Nag and others have done well in support.

I rate this domestic drama: 7.0 on 10!