Chitra Varga

Karma, it’s said, is like a boomerang─ you get what you give.    A great leveler, it does take some pushing and prodding at times though. “ ಬಯಸದೇ ಬಂದ ಭಾಗ್ಯ ” (‘ Bayasade Banda Bhagya’ , which translates to: ‘ Undesired Fortune ’), is a 1977 Kannada film that has karmic circularity for its theme. Based on a story penned by Tamil writer, Bala Murugan, the flick has a somewhat banal ‘ bridging the rich-poor divide ’ plot about equality, which quibbling film pundits are sure to nitpick on. Nonetheless dandy dialogues, packed to the hilt with dramatic content, makes it delightful watch. Ramu (Vishnuvardhan), a driven ‘n diligent student, albeit impoverished, cherishes dreams of becoming a collector. He is steadfast in his belief that one should be goal-oriented in life. His bosom friend, Lakshmana (Ram Gopal) is a privileged guy, given to a life of opulence and plenitude. Assertive Shanti (Manjula) and arrogant Geetha (Sri Lalitha) are respectively the daughters of a poor farmer...

Opinion leaders have oft repeated that the goal of population stabilization is to “reduce or minimize misery. ” The great science writer, Isaac Asimov even decreed: “ Democracy cannot survive over-population. ” There is enough empirical evidence and academic research to support those views. “ ಬೋರೇಗೌಡ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಬಂದ ” (‘ Boregowda Bengaloorige Banda ’, which means: ‘ Boregowda Came to Bengaloor ’) is a 1970 Kannada film that has the link between poverty and population for a theme. With its chartbusting tracks, the movie was a musical megahit. A poor villager, Boregowda, also Boranna (Rajesh), moves to Bangalore in search of a better life. In tow are his wife, Gowravva (Leelavathi) and five children. Destitute and distressed, the naïve folks have a difficult time adjusting to the fast-paced, dog-eat-dog life in their city of dreams. Boranna gets acquainted in time with Rajanna (Srinath), a Robin-Hood-like do-gooder, who has Lakshmi (B Vijayalakshmi), a street vendor, as his love...

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...

“ A thriller is a very carefully structured story, ” wrote a well-known crime writer. In stark contrast, a potboiler offers enough thrills despite its unstructured, and often hackneyed, story. “ ಸಿಂಗಪೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜ ಕುಳ್ಳ ” (‘ Singapoorinalli Raja Kulla ’, which translates to: ‘ Raja Kulla in Singapore ’) is a 1978 Kannada film that turned out to be a whopper of a success at the box-office. The action thriller started the trend in Kannada films of shooting at exotic locales overseas; it was a musical blockbuster too film. Shivaraj (Loknath) and Junie (Thoogudeepa Srinivas) are underworld kingpins in Singapore; both are into diamond smuggling and a host of other nefarious activities. Needless to say, they are on the radar of law enforcement authorities. Detective Venu a.k.a. Kulla (Dwarakish) is entrusted with the task of bringing the hoodlums to justice. Pop-singer Raja (Vishnuvardhan) gets acquainted with Gopinath Rao (Shakti Prasad), a wealthy man into some shady stuff. Tara (Man...

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...

The Earth offers its bounty only upon faithful stewardship. The flora and fauna in forests are part of the bonanza― safeguarding the bounty requires diligent care and guardianship. “ ಗಂಧದ ಗುಡಿ ” (‘ Gandhada Gudi ’, or ‘ Temple of Sandalwood’ ) is a 1973 Kannada film based on the theme of forest conservation and wildlife protection― the first Indian movie to do so. The crime drama, with a conjoint domestic drama in its narrative, portrayed the rich biodiversity of the State of Karnataka. Based on MP Shankar’s story, the flick was a blockbuster hit; it was remade in Hindi ( Kartavya ) too.   Kumar (Dr. Rajkumar) is a virtuous and industrious ‘range forest officer’ posted to the Nagarahole National Forest, which has a gang of lethal poachers and sandalwood smugglers operating in it. Inexplicable paranormal phenomena inside the dense jungle too are terrorizing folks in the vicinity. Immediately after taking charge, Kumar meets Anand (Vishnuvardhan), the son of Raja Venkatappa Naya...

“Spying,” as the Russian President Vladimir Putin said somewhat stalely, “ has always gone on since ancient times .” There is something about ‘spying’ and its not-so-distant cousin, ‘voyeurism’ that gives an adrenalin rush to the common man. Perhaps the spooky secrecy that shrouds espionage― besides its association with death and danger― is irresistibly charming. The onscreen portrayal of suave, sophisticated spies too adds to the romanticism of intelligence work . “ ಕುಳ್ಳ ಏಜೆಂಟ್ ೦೦೦ ” (“ Kulla Agent 000”, which literally means, ‘Short Agent 000’ ) is a 1972 Kannada film, which is part spy parody and part spy thriller. The commercially successful movie― an escapade in the Austin Powers’ mold on comical content sans the innuendos― found favour in pop culture too. Kulla (Dwarakish), a puny, pocket-sized bloke aspires to be a secret service agent. He tries to make up for his lack of height by showing up for a recruitment interview wearing stilts under his long trousers. The comical ...

Justice is the bedrock on which society and its institutions are established. That bedrock exists on the substratum of truth. So, if that substratum is ruined, then all of society, painstakingly built, gets razed down. “ ನ್ಯಾಯವೇ ದೇವರು ” (‘ Nyayave Devaru’ , which translates to: ‘ Justice is God ’ ) is a 1971 Indian Kannada film, which has truth and justice as its thematic core. The romantic drama― it also had courtroom drama integrated into the narrative― was critically acclaimed; it yielded a box-office bonanza for its producers. Raghu (Dr. Rajkumar), a law student, hails from a family of famous, affluent jurists. He falls in love with his classmate, Shanti (B Saroja Devi), a bashfully reticent girl and, on top, a statuesque beauty from an impoverished family. Raghu’s father, Chandrashekaraiah (KS Ashwath) disapproves of the match. Unbeknownst to Raghu, Chandrashekaraiah meets Shanti and beseeches her to forsake the alliance in order to uphold his family prestige and rep...

The American novelist, Ernest Hemingway wrote: “ All things truly wicked start with innocence. ” Perhaps; but, the truly wicked always ends with trauma…and, at times, stigma, which sacrifice saves. “ ಸುಪ್ರಭಾತ ” (‘ Suprabhāta ’, which means ‘ Auspicious Dawn ’) is a 1988 Kannada movie, which impressed critics and enamored audiences. The romantic drama was a musical extravaganza; a commercial megahit, it won awards by the dozen too. Vijay Kumar (Vishnuvardhan) is the owner of a petrol bunk on a hill station. He leads a lonely, reclusive life out of choice. The shyness and introversion stems from his past speech disorder. He does engage in long monologues though, perhaps to break out of his boredom.   Enter Hema (Suhasini), a very reticent, reserved lady…and Vijay’s attraction to her blossoms into love. But soon, Vijay tumbles upon Hema’s dark past. So how does the discovered secret impact the romance? That is the rest of the film. Penned and directed by Dinesh Baboo, the roman...

The tale of, and events leading thereto, the marriage of Lord Sri Venkateshwara (also Lord Srinivasa) with his consort, Goddess Padmavathi, makes for fascinating narration . The story, no doubt, makes for a riveting watch on the silver screen. “ ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ ” (‘ Sri Srinivasa Kalyana’ , which translates to: ‘Welfare of Sri Srinivasa’) is a 1974 Kannada movie, which portrays the story of Lord Srinivasa. The mythological drama was a super hit at the box office; it was dubbed into Tamil as “ Ezhumalaiyaan Darsanam ”. The story begins with rishi s performing a yajna . Sage Narada (Srinath) visits the site of the yajna and asks the rishi s about who they are looking to propitiate. Put in a quandary, the rishi s entrust Bhrigu (Vajramuni) with the task of ascertaining the Supreme Being among the Trinity. After visiting Satyaloka and Kailasa, the respective abodes of Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, Bhrigu infers that the former is unworthy of worship; he curses arrogantly the lat...

The reputed author, Mignon McLaughlin wrote very insighfully: “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” But, the path to 'falling in love' is at times paved with hate and hostility. " ನಾನೆಂದು ನಿಮ್ಮವನೇ " (' Nanendu Nimmavane', which translates to ' I'm Yours Always ') is a 1993 Kannada film, which met with great box-office success. The romantic drama was based on author, Malladi Venkata Krishna Murthy's novel, ' Repati Koduku '. The movie's plot, climax and narrative apparently was the inspiration for the Malayalam film ' Minnaram '. Gopalakrishna (Vishnuvardhan) is an affluent ladies' man. He flirts with pretty girls and enjoys prurience and promiscuity. But thanks to a quirky twist of fate, he falls head over heels for Radha (Srishanthi), who has orthodox views about marital life. So, Gopal and his dear Man Friday, Mukunda (Ramesh Bhat) hatch a plot for the moonst...