A HAUNTING RHAPSODY IN THE MERRY MELODY OF LIFE

Some say love is an “emotion experienced by many and enjoyed by a few”. However, that emotion of love is elusive for many, who don’t get to either enjoy or experience it.

“ಬೆಸುಗೆ” (‘Besuge’, which means ‘Solder’) is a 1976 Kannada film. Based on the work of renowned novelist Ashwini, the romantic drama was a commercial hit― its original music, comprised of six tracks, was no doubt a bigger blockbuster. It won numerous awards too.

Venu (Srinath) is a rich non-resident Indian. A family friend, Liz (Sathyapriya) becomes smitten by Venu, who spurns her overtures of love…for he is haunted by well-entrenched memories of an ugly and tragic past that reside in the innermost recesses of his mind and have messed up his mental well-being.

So, Venu returns to India to exorcise the deep-rooted demons from his dark childhood. Back home after a long time, he is torn between a sweet, orphaned maid, Suma (Manjula) and a hot, loaded relative, Champa (Jayalakshmi).

Does Venu fall for the allure of a modish, ravishing Champa? Or, does he succumb to the charms of the bashful, beautiful Suma, who too hides a secret? That modern versus orthodox matchup puts Venu in a piquant predicament.

The rest of the flick is about how Venu shapes a present that is at loggerheads with his past…and, whether he manages to overcome the heaviness haunting his heart. Or, is gloom and doom writ large for him?

Director Geethapriya has come up with a sweet, sensitive essay for the silver screen. The simple, but linear storytelling, save the odd flashback, teases and tantalizes. Little wonder then that it is a landmark in his directorial career. His screenplay is doused in histrionics though; so, it does get schmaltzy.

Veteran Vijay Bhaskar’s enchanting music is ambrosia for the heart and soul; it was a major crowd puller. The literary compositions of RN Jayagopal, Chi Udaya Shankar, Geethapriya and Vijaya Narasimha are evergreen classics.

The camerawork of NG Rao, a stalwart, is not fanciful; yet, it is effective and enhances the experience of the fairy-tale plot. The editing could and should have removed some of the slackness in the film.

Srinath, as the male lead, is ENDEARING in his rendition. Manjula is classy in her role of a demure lady in love. Sathyapriya and Jayalakshmi are both nice in their candy-floss roles. Chandrashekar, KS Ashwath, MV Rajamma, Shivaram and others have lent good support.

I rate this romantic drama, with its sublime music: 7.0 on 10!