Chitra Varga

John Kenneth Galbraith, the Canadian-American economist observed: “ Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it’s just the opposite” . Regardless of the paradigm, exploitation happens for, like someone put it ironically, people like to own stuff. “ ಏಳು ಸುತ್ತಿನ ಕೋಟೆ ” (‘ Elu Suttina Kote’ , which literally means: ‘ Seven- Rounded Fortress ’) is a 1987 Kannada film, which has earned cult status. The social drama is loosely based on reputed Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s ‘ Crime and Punishment ’. The film was critically commended; it was a commercial success too. Anand (Ambareesh), a lecturer, is fired from his college due to his radical views on revolution and dogmatic obsession with class struggle. Gopal (Ramesh Aravind) and Rani (Gouthami) are Anand’s friends; the latter harbors romantic feelings towards Anand. In an effort to do his bit in rectifying societal inequities, Anand murders the village pawn-broker, Nagarajaiah (Sundar Krishna Urs). He intends to us...

It has been said that taming the ego is vital to awaken the soul. Indeed…a tamed ego also softens the heart, and, sharpens the mind. “ ಉಪೇಂದ್ರ ” (‘ Upendra ’) is a 1999 Kannada film that delves on the war against one’s ego. The psychological thriller was a commercial hit; in fact, it has such an ardent fan following that many movie-buffs feel it is a cult classic. The flick also won a bunch of awards. The movie begins with betala (a hobgoblin-like paranormal being) narrating a tale to Vikramaditya (Arun Govil), a legendary emperor of ancient India, who was known for his wisdom, courage, generosity and patronage of scholars. The story is about Naanu (Upendra), the roguish, selfish male protagonist, who hates hypocrisy and is honest to a fault. Naanu manages to get into romantic relationships with three women― Rathi (Damini), Swathi (Prema) and Kirthi (Raveena Tandon). All three ladies vie for Naanu’s affections; he is compulsively obsessed about the richest of them all, Kirthi. Naanu t...

The Canadian poet, Atticus said poignantly that depression is akin to ' being colour blind and constantly told how colourful the world is.' “ ಆಘಾತ " (' Aaghaata ' , which means: “Shock” ) is a 1995 Kannada  film, which has depression for its theme. The psychological drama is based on Dr. Ashok Pai, a practising psychiatrist's novel. Critics and movie buffs received the film well. Usha (Sruti) is going steady with her classmate Vikas (Srikant) unbeknownst to her conservative family. Her father, a retired teacher, tries to get her hitched to a successful, US-based engineer. Vikas intervenes to ensure that the matrimonial alliance falls apart; but soon, he deserts Usha when his domineering father demands dowry from the girl's family. Dumped Usha goes into depression; but, after counselling, she joins a charitable organisation dedicated to ecological preservation. She soon loses her heart again to Francis (Suresh Heblikar), the head of the outfit. As a q...

Philip Dick, the renowned American sci-fi writer once said: “ ...sometimes an appropriate response to reality is to go insane. ” Of course, given that we all live in a crazy world, insanity is perhaps a sign of real sanity. " ಮಾನಸ ಸರೋವರ " ( Manasa Sarovara ) is a 1982 Kannada  film, which was critically lauded. Best described as a romantic-psychological drama. On one hand, it narrates pleasantly the triumph of human diligence over destiny; and, on the other, it depicts poignantly the last laugh of destiny to negate the results of diligence. The plot is about a middle-aged, mild-mannered and well-meaning psychiatrist, Dr. Anand (Srinath), who treats a young lady, Vasanthi (Padma Vasanthi) suffering from mental illness. The special, personalised care helps Vasanthi recover from her ailment. In the process, Dr. Anand falls in love with his patient. A fairy-tale ending on the cards, right? Just when everything is headed towards a romantic climax, Dr. Anand's nephew, S...