Chitra Varga

Many believe there is an afterlife….up in the heavens; or, in hell. Departed souls are supposed to rise up to their celestial abodes. But how cool would it be if heavenly beings showed up on earth instead! Well, that is exactly the basic plot of “ ನಾರದ ವಿಜಯ ” (‘ Narada Vijaya ’, which means ‘ Triumph of Narada ’), a 1980 Kannada film. The movie was a musical masterpiece― each track is a classic. The film yielded a whopper of a return to the producers. Sage Narada (Anant Nag) descends to earth and interacts with ordinary humans. But then, folks mistake him for his look-alike, Vijay (Anant Nag), a police officer. The ‘carbon copies’, that is, Vijay and Sage Narada befool the former’s romantic interest, Radha (Padmapriya). A wacky policeman in plainclothes, Gurupada (MP Shankar) is beguiled too. In the meantime, Lakshmipathi (KS Ashwath), a brilliant scientist gets kidnapped and his invention― an unreal camera that can instantly freeze people in front of it― is used for bank heists....

They say a home is where love, hope and dreams start. Of course, those sentiments are amplified when the home is self-owned. That in turn is predicated on the purchase of a home. “ ಯಾರಿಗೂ ಹೇಳ್ಬೇಡಿ ” (‘ Yarigoo Helbedi ’, which means: ‘ Do Not Tell Anyone ’) is a 1994 Kannada comedy, which has been accorded ‘ cult ’ status over the years. Set in the 1990s, the film has the middle-class aspiration of home ownership for its core plot. The movie was a mediocre success commercially; it did gain critical approval though. It has since been remade in Tulu. Champa (Vanitha Vasu), the only daughter and heiress apparent of a rich man (Shivaram), works in a travel agency. Govinda (Anant Nag), a glib-slick operator, woos Champa; he wants to wed her also. But, Champa’s father insists that he’ll consent only if the suitor, asking for her hand, owns a residential plot. So Govinda hatches an ingenious plot to cheat gullible folks of their money by deceptively promising to get residential site...

The American President Franklin D. Roosevelt said prudently…and profoundly too: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Easier said than done, for often fear is the fallout of the unknown.   “ ಅನ್ವೇಷಣೆ ” ( ‘Anveshane’, which means: ’Quest ’ ) is a 1983 Kannada movie, which takes a peek at fear-induced behavior. The plot of the neo-noir art film is about how folks cope with uncertainty. Critically acclaimed, the flick won a few awards too. Shyam (Anant Nag), a travel agent, is in blissful wedlock with Revathi (Smita Patil), a school teacher. They are blessed with two little, adorable girls in their tweens. The typical middle-class family lives in a housing complex with several other tenants. Some of the neighbors are prying nosy-parkers. Few men in the colony are goofy busybodies; others are perverts having roving eyes. The womenfolk are loud and garrulous; and, annoyingly inquisitive. Both Shyam and Revathi toil hard to make both ends meet. The two follow ...

The English statesman and philosopher, Francis Bacon aired eloquently, “the worst solitude is to be destitute of true friendship.” One may be tempted to add ‘ family ties devoid of agony and anguish ’ to that quote. “ ಮಿಸ್ಟರ್ ಗರಗಸ ” (‘ Mr. Garagasa’ ― literally ‘ Mr. Saw’ , it is a moniker for a ‘ boringly garrulous man ’) is a 2008 Kannada film that has for its theme the significance of harmony and congeniality in matrimonial relations. Garagasa is heavily inspired by the French comedy Le Dîner de Cons and the Hindi flick Bheja Fry . The comedy did well at the box-office. Muniya (Komal Kumar) is a struggling scriptwriter, who is a bit of an eccentric cackler. He is a genuinely decent human being, albeit a bumbling do-gooder. So, goofy Muniya, with his penchant for plain-spokenness, meets a film producer, Parthasarthy (Anant Nag), who is beset with daunting problems at home. Muniya begins to narrate his script to Parthasarthy; but, the queer, quirky attempt soon runs into rough...

Dale Carnegie, the American motivational writer, said that the man who goes farthest is the one who is willing to do and dare .   That profound thought applies to as mundane, but momentous a pursuit in life as finding love. Unexpressed love indeed becomes unrequited love often. Hence it is vital not only to dare, but also to declare that love. No flippancy there!  “ ಶ್ರಾವಣಿ ಸುಬ್ರಮಣ್ಯ ” (‘ Shravani Subramanya ’) is a 2013 Kannada film that had the cash registers ringing relentlessly. A blockbuster, the romantic comedy garnered plaudits galore and gained an award or two as well.   Shravani (Amulya) is a naïve, dewy-eyed girl in love. She elopes with Sudeep (Yashas), who, it turns out, is a goon with ulterior motives and nefarious designs. Subramanya (Ganesh), an aspiring singer with dreams of making it big in the music industry, arrives in the nick of time as a knight in shining armour and rescues Shravani from the clutches of Sudeep. When Shravani returns home though...

Airing his view on drama, Alfred Hitchcock, the great auteur equated it with ‘ life minus the dull bits ’. Pithy and prudent articulation indeed! “ ಬಯಲು ದಾರಿ ” (‘ Bayalu Daari ’, which translates loosely to: ‘ Path in the Plains ’) is a 1976  Kannada  film. Based on the work of reputed novelist, Bharathi Sutha, the drama was a musical blockbuster. It was declared a smash hit at the box-office too. Chandra (Kalpana) is the affluent heiress of a large estate. Gopu (Anant Nag), a certified Casanova with chocolate boy looks, seduces Chandra, who succumbs to his overtures. Soon the two consummate their relationship sexually; in the result, Chandra becomes pregnant To shed the bad rap from his womanizer image, Gopu enlists in the armed forces. As fate would have it though, he is involved in an air accident and is declared dead. Devastated and stigmatized over conceiving out of wedlock, Chandra goes into depression. She becomes reclusive and refuses a second marriage. So...

A successful marriage, it is said, requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. That is possible only if familiarity, which breeds contempt, is kept under shackles. In a nutshell, relationships can only be built on the bedrock of trust, loyalty, honesty and respect. “ ಪರಮೇಶಿ ಪ್ರೇಮ ಪ್ರಸಂಗ ”   (‘ Parameshi Prema Prasanga’ , which translates to  ‘Parameshi’s Love Affair’ )   is a 1985  Kannada  film that has a plot based on the mistrust-driven souring of strong marital ties. Critics heaped appreciation even as viewers applauded the domestic drama.  Parameshi (Ramesh Bhat) is in blissful wedlock with Ramamani (Arundhati Nag); the couple has a son that they dote over. Parameshi accepts his co-worker, Simha’s (CR Simha) challenge of taking a lady colleague out for lunch. Ramamani takes exception to this; she feigns having an affair to get even with Parameshi. Soon the marriage runs into rough weather– Simha too plays his devious part sowi...

In his doctrine espoused in 1769, English jurist Blackstone observed: ‘ it’s better that ten  guilty  persons escape than that one innocent suffer’ Miscarriage of justice is likely when adjudicators assess evidence with prejudiced minds or preconceived notions. “ ದಶಮುಖ ” (‘ Dashamukha ’, which translates to: ‘ Ten Faces ’) is a 2012 Kannada film. The  courtroom drama , penned by KV Raju, is inspired by the English film: ‘ 12 Angry Men’ ; it   received  more critical  r é clame  than popular applause The plot revolves around Agni (Chethan), who is the prime accused in a trial for the murder of his father. The judge (Ramesh Bhat) appoints ten prominent citizens as amici curiae to assist him in the adjudication process. The panel meets and deliberates over the guilt, or otherwise, of Agni, who has ocular and circumstantial evidence overwhelmingly against him in the case. Ravindranath (Ravichandran) is the only panelist who firmly thinks Agni is inno...

The strongest are those who win battles we know little about. Indeed! “ ಫಣಿಯಮ್ಮ ” (‘ Phaniyamma ’) is a 1983 Kannada film that is based on the work of acclaimed novelist, MK Indira. The drama portrays the struggle of a widow, a victim of prejudice in a sexist, patriarchal social order. It earned abundant appreciation of critics and audiences alike. It also won a legion of state and national awards. The female protagonist, Phaniyamma  (LV Sharada), lives in a small village with her extended family shrouded in orthodoxy. Widowed at the tender age of twelve, Phaniyamma holds progressive views within a regressively ritualistic social milieu. High on courage, conviction and compassion, she even defies behavioral norms imposed. In due course, she proves to be the fulcrum within the family, thus blurring the line between Phaniyamma, the victor; and, Phaniyamma, the victim. Prema Karanth’s direction is refreshingly nuanced . She narrates discerningly and forces you to ruminate ove...

“ As you sow, so do you reap ,” is a well-known pithy saying. Karma– or, action for an action, good or bad, as author Stephen Richards put it– does work in mystical, mysterious ways. “ ಉಂಡೂ ಹೋದ ಕೊಂಡೂ ಹೋದ ” [‘ Undu Hoda Kondu Hoda ’, which translates loosely to “ Ate and Went; Took and Went ”] is a 1992 Kannada film that weaves its plot around karmic reaction to one’s misdeeds. The satirical comedy won several awards; it was critically well received too. The male protagonist of the film, Krishna (Anant Nag) dupes simple, trusting village folk of their monies by pretending to be a ‘cow inspector’ and making false promises about the milk yields of imported cows. He even has a fling with Rukmini (Tara), a spunky belle. But then, he too falls prey to a honey-trap and loses all his ill-gotten money. This flick is Nagathihalli Chandrashekar ’s debut directorial endeavor. The rough edges are apparent; a few sequences are overly dramatized for some cheap, avoidable laughs. Thankful...

“ The very essence of romance is uncertainty ,” observed Oscar Wilde, the Irish poet. " ಬೆಳದಿಂಗಳ ಬಾಲೆ " (' Beladingala Baale ', which means ' Moonlight Lady ') is a 1995 Kannada film, which weaves uncertainty into the drama behind a romance. Based on a Telugu novel penned by Yandamoori Veerendranath and titled ' Vennello Adapilla ' , the flick deservingly won many laurels and awards; it received rave reviews from critics too . The male protagonist of the movie, Revanth (Ananth Nag) is a chess grandmaster, who returns home bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after beating the reigning world champion, Polonski in an international tournament. In spite of the accolades that he gets from friends and family, Revanth is dejected at the lukewarm reception from the media, not to mention the lack of a fan following. He soon receives a call from a doting female fan, who sets him and his bosom friend and confidante, James (Ramesh Bhat) on a wild-goose chase, or ...