Chitra Varga

Edmund Burke, the Irish statesman and philosopher, was on point when he declared emphatically that superstition is the faith of feeble minds. Besides it also indicates a lack of judgment in the superstitious.   “ ಕುಬಿ ಮತ್ತು ಇಯಾಲ ” (‘ Kubi Mattu Iyala’ , which translates to: ‘ Kubi and Iyala ’) is a 1992 Kannada film about blind beliefs of common folk in a remote village. Based on a story penned by literary giant, Poornachandra Tejaswi, the drama won several awards; critics too gave it their thumbs-up. The protagonist, Dr. Kubera, or for short, Dr. Kubi (Charuhasan), a diligent ex-military doctor, is assigned to the ramshackle healthcare centre at Byrapura, a small hamlet out in the wilderness. Shrouded in superstition, the locals seem to be stuck in a time warp― they live in primal fear of angering the spirit believed to be hidden in a huge boulder nearby. A bemused Kubi, an idealistic rationalist, takes it upon himself to bust the myth and inculcate the villagers with s...

It is often said that government is at its worst when it shows apathy and indifferenc e towards citizens and their problems. With babu s and bureaucracy firmly ensconced in place, incompetence too is an added bane in India. “ ತಬರನ ಕಥೆ " (' Tabarana Kathe ', which translates to: ' Tabara's Tale ') is a 1987 Kannada film that critics went into ecstasies over. The social drama, based on renowned writer, Poornachandra Tejaswi's short story of the same name, is a sad indictment of governance. Little wonder then that it won awards aplenty! The central character of the movie, Tabara (Charuhasan), a peon in the local municipal office of pre-independence India, appears to have become insane. His diabetic wife, Appi (Nalini Murthy) has a wound on her foot, which needs surgical intervention. But the childless couple is too poor to afford the medical expenses. So Tabara, a retiree, hopes to dip into his pension funds. That sets in motion for Tabara a saga of s...