Chitra Varga

' Crime does not pay as well as politics ,' is what someone once said. Many are likely to agree, for sure. That is because most are perhaps ignorant of the pay of, or rather payoffs to the corrupt officer. " ಕೆಂಡ ಸಂಪಿಗೆ " (' Kenda Sampige ', that is, ' Red Champak ') is a 2015 Kannada movie that gives dramatic expression to how the high and mighty use their power and influence (not to mention money) to exploit systemic flaws. This commercially successful crime thriller based on a story penned by Surendranath found favour with critics too. The plot features the trials and travails of a young couple on the run from the cops. Ravindra (Vikky Varun) and Gowri Shetty (Manvitha Harish) are in a relationship and decide to elope. The problem, Ravindra hails from an impoverished family, and the latter is from an affluent, class-conscious household. The twist though is that Ravindra is involved in a drugs possession case and has escaped from police custod...

The American author, Edward Abbey exhorted: “ Belief in the supernatural reflects a failure of the imagination. ” The scientifically inclined are likely to nod in approval. The personal prerogative to believe or disbelieve aside, the concept of the supernatural makes for thrilling, compelling cinema...one that calls for oodles of imagination. " ಲಾಸ್ಟ ಬಸ್ " (' Last Bus ') is a 2016 Kannada paranormal thriller, which won a bunch of awards for technical merit and received rave reviews from critics too. Dubbed versions of the horror flick have been released in Telugu and Hindi. The plot begins with Prithvi (Avinash Diwakar), an avid trekker taking the last bus of the day from a hamlet in the boondocks to Hanasa, a small town in the region. The bus, driven by Tanka (Raakaa Shankar Shetty), has a motley group of passengers. The journey is through a dense, dangerous forest. En route the bus is forced to halt because of a fallen tree blocking the road. Many passengers s...

It has been said that pain follows a deep, compassionate heart. True that. But, pain, and its twin, suffering also follow harsh, hateful hearts of others. At times, that chase leads to retribution. “ ಆಟಗಾರ ” (‘ Āṭagāra ’, translation:  Player ) is a 2015 Kannada   suspense thriller that explores the theme of retributive, vigilante justice. Inspired by Agatha Christie’s novel, “And Then There Were None”, the movie was embroiled in a controversy upon its release. It was alleged to be a remake of a Tamil film; this allegation was clarified to be untrue though.   Ten people from diverse fields are invited to partake in a TV reality show on a small, forsaken island. The contestants― they include a drug peddler, a doctor, a movie star, a fashion photographer, a pedagogue, a supermodel, and so on― are required to survive the ordeal in complete isolation from the mainland. The exciting adventure begins with great chemistry and camaraderie among all competitors. On top, Ja...