Chitra Varga

It is often said: ‘ What goes around comes around. ’ Indeed so! As someone said, karma is like a boomerang; and, on top it works in mysterious ways. “ ಋಣ ಮುಕ್ತಳು ” [‘ Ru ṇ amukta ḷ u’ , meaning: ‘(a lady who is) debt-free’ ], a 1984 Kannada film, is based on renowned writer, Anupama Niranjana’s novel ‘Runa’. Critics lauded the domestic drama, which has the karmic theme of ‘how you sow, so do you reap’.  Ramappa (Sundar Krishna Urs) is a corrupt, government engineer. Goda (Bharati), Ramappa’s beautiful wife, is against his nefarious and unscrupulous ways; but, she does not interfere. The couple has a son, Ranganatha (Ramakrishna), who grows to be a volatile, impulsive and rebellious man. The other son is obedient, studious and becomes a doctor. During a visit to his village, Ramappa has a fling with an innocent village belle, Malli (Padma Vasanthi), who begets a son from the illicit affair. Ramappa though keeps the birth of the illegitimate son a secret. Eventually, a conman, Adises...

He who allows oppression shares the crime is an old saying. Extrapolating the sentiment one can conclude ‘ not fighting oppression too is the same as docilely allowing it ’. “ ಪಡುವಾರಹಳ್ಳಿ ಪಾಂಡವರು ” (‘ Paduvaarahalli Pandavaru ’ , which means: ‘ The Paduvaarahalli Pandavas ’) is a 1978 Kannada film, which highlights the faults, failures and frustrations that emanate in a feudal society. The movie is an adaptation of the epic, Mahabharata , set in the social, political and economic mise-en-scène of a village. This drama was remade in Telugu ( Manavoori Pandavulu ) and Hindi ( Hum Paanch ). Sangappa (Dheerendra Gopal) is a rich, feudal lord of Paduvaarahalli, who oppressively dominates the local community. He is surrounded by several henchmen― prominent among them is his scheming sidekick, ‘Connection’ Kalappa (Musuri Krishnamurthy). The villagers grovel haplessly before lecherous Sangappa; they suffer untold misery at the hands of the vindictive, manipulative fella and his minions. ...

Celia Fremlin, the mystery fiction writer, equated infatuation with a ‘ love that is inconvenient to go on with ’. But, sometimes, inconvenient love refuses to go away. “ ವಿಮುಕ್ತಿ ” (‘ Vimukthi ’, which means: ‘ Redemption ’) is a 2010 Kannada flick that delves on that theme of incestuous infatuation; it received a battery of awards, including the prestigious National Award. The movie was appreciated by critics and has the Neo-Freudian psycho-sexual theory of ‘Electra complex’ for its plot. Madhavi (Bhavana) is the only daughter of Keshava Rao (Ramakrishna), an artist proficient in the traditional art of Mysore paintings. Deprived of motherly love early in her life, Madhavi develops a strange, unresolved attraction for her father and yearns sub-consciously for his unconditional love. Madhavi’s relationship with her husband, Vibhin (Aravind G), is strained― courtesy: her clouded and cluttered psychological frame of mind. She becomes obsessively possessive and regressively jealous,...

A good thriller, it has been said, is one which feels real and carries some truth. " ನಿಷ್ಶಬ್ದ " ('Nishyabda', or 'Silence') is a 1998 Kannada film, which is as realistic as an action thriller can get. The movie was a box-office success; critics appreciated it too. Major Vishwanath (Vishnuvardhan) is a retired army veteran who is also a dog trainer with about twenty purebred dogs in his kennel. Dr. Vineetha (Revathy) is the veternarian looking after the dogs. The major's brother, Vijay (Sumanth) is in a romantic relationship with Varsha (Mohini), which the major has no knowledge of. Fatefully Vijay antagonises a local thug, Veerendra Gowda (JK Bharavi) and gets murdered. That alters the course of Major's life, who now shelters Varsha at home and seeks revenge against his brother's killers. Dinesh Baboo has written and directed the thriller, which has the right, eclectic mix of action, suspense and mystery. He has handled the camerwork credi...

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...

“ At the gate where suspicion enters, love goes out ”, is a pithy saying. Trust surely is the foundation on which the superstructure of all relationships exist. “ ಅಮೃತ ಘಳಿಗೆ” (' Amrutha Ghalige ', which means: ' Ambrosial Moment' ) is a classic 1984 Kannada film, a romantic drama based on the novel Avadhana , by Dodderi Venkatagiri Rao. The critically-acclaimed movie won a plethora of awards; it pulled audiences to cinema theatres in droves too. This plot deals with the sensitive issues of of premarital sex and teenage pregnancy – both taboo in Indian society. It portrays the trauma of girls and the stigma associated with teen pregnancy, with dramatic content added in good measure. The female protagonist, Renu (Padma Vasanthi), a fresher in college, hails from a family of limited means. Manu (Ramakrishna), an affluent classmate, shows romantic interest in Renu. He courts her persistently and the two begin to love each other; they even consummate their relationship ...

“ All the world is a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed!” Those are the Irish dramatist, Sean O'Casey's words, nay, pearls of wisdom. There is no other film that drives home this point as touchingly as " ರಂಗನಾಯಕಿ " (' Ranganayaki ' , which translates to: ' Stage Heroine '), a 1981 hugely-popular, critically-acclaimed Kannada film. Based on a reputed novelist, Ashwattha's work of the same name, this flick is a cultural and historical milestone in Kannada cinema for the bold and mature handling of 'Oedipus Complex' as a theme. It is perhaps the chef-d’œuvre of Kanagal's rich legacy in film-making. The movie's female protagonist, Ranganayaki (Aarathi) is the star attraction of a touring theatre group run by her foster-father, Appaji (Kunigal Ramanath); and, step-brother, Ramanna (Ambarish). A versatile actor, she pulls the crowds and is the cynosure of attention in the plays of the troupe. A rich man, Nagaraja (Ashok...