Chitra Varga

‘ Money cannot buy love, ’ many say! But, it can surely usher cheer, cordiality and camaraderie in the lives of people. After all, folks swarm around the moneyed like bees to a honeypot! “ ಕಾಸಿದ್ರೆ ಕೈಲಾಸ ” (‘ Kasidre Kailasa ’, which equates to: ‘ Affluence is Heaven ’) is a 1971 Kannada film, which stresses the need for due care while managing money matters. The core plot of the film was used in a Hindi film ( Sabse Bada Rupaiya ). It fared well in its ticket-booth collections. A stinking-rich, but compassionate man, Gopi (Dr. Rajkumar) is a spendthrift. Naïve, trusting to a fault, Gopi is surrounded by a bunch of flunkies, who live off him. While Gopi harbors affection for the sidekicks, they see the former only as a golden goose. Shakuntala (Vanisri) is his romantic interest. One day Gopi sees Ramu (Udaykumar), a well-educated, unemployed graduate reeling under the pangs of hunger and reaching out for a few morsels of leftovers on the street. He feeds Ramu and takes him as a b...

Someone once said: ‘Revenge is always sweet; it is the aftertaste that is bitter’ . Perhaps! But then, the bitterness too gratifies and satisfies, does it not? “ ಸೀತಾರಾಮು ” (‘Seetharamu’) is a 1979 Kannada film based on the twin themes of retribution and reincarnation. Based on a core plot of brain transplant, the romantic drama― a science fiction fantasy of sorts― was a megahit at the box-office; it proved to be a musical bonanza too. It was remade in Telugu ( Seethe Ramudaithe ) and Hindi ( Diya Aur Toofan ). The male protagonist Ramu (Shankar Nag) is an upright and diligent engineer. His friend, Dr. Dayal (Sundar Krishna Urs) is obsessed with his research on brain transplantation. Seetha (Manjula) is Ramu’s romantic pursuit; he gets betrothed to her. Unfortunately though, Ramu refuses to turn a blind eye to his employer’s corrupt and crooked ways. His exploits against the notorious gangsters gets him killed. Revenge no doubt is a powerful motivator. So Seetha then exacts reven...