It seems to have taken a film about juvenile delinquents for Kannada cinema to come of age! Giriraj, an award winning writer with a theatre background has been on the fringes of fame for some time now. ‘Naviladhavaru’, his short film circulated privately was his calling card. Having assisted Shashank, Giri was recognised for his strong screenplay sense and a certain social consciousness. I remember Puneet asking me if I’d watched Giri’s short. “It’s interesting,” said the star who’s thirsty for films off the oft trodden track. Giri’s debut effort lay in the cans because the producer just refused to release the film. Made on a shoestring budget, starring Ajay Rao the film failed to create ripples when eventually released. The producer of course was satisfied when he earned more than he’s spent via telecast rights. ‘Jatta’ about female emancipation was talked about and even fetched awards but the deafening silence at the box-office is what the industry heard. After the usual knocking on producers offices only to be told that he had to add ‘masala’ to his bland fare, Giri wrote ‘Mythri’. The plot had sensitivity and social relevance rather than a dose of spice. The producer of ‘Jatta’, Raj Kumar smelt a winner and pounced on the project. Excitement increased when an apprehensive Giri got the nod from Mohanlal and Puneet agreed to play himself. The film would have been shelved if Puneet had not agreed because the ‘Kotiyadhipathi’ show is an integral part of the film. Ilayaraja’s name was the icing on the cake.
‘Mythri’ is about the precarious state of mind of a teenager. It’s the time when the roads of life forks and you have to make choices. It’s a time when the mind wanders and the body strays, when both should not be shackled but prodded to the right path. It talks about how the role of elders is crucial and precious. Giri does not sermonise. The film neither induces ennui nor is crassly commercial. It shows the dilemma of the warden of a facility that deals with delinquents. A visit by a superstar changes everything. The pace quickens after an unsteady start. The opening scenes establishing the character of the protagonist, a kid and a petty politician are shoddily shot. It’s only when the scene shifts to the correctional facility that Giri comes into his own. The scenes are crisp, to the point and with pithy lines. The narrative is not unnecessarily jumbled. Just when you feel things are getting predictable, there’s an interesting tweak. It keeps you on the edge sans cheap thrills. Giri’s triumph is in the characterisation. Save Ravi Kale who’s a cinematic cliché everyone else grapples with moral dilemmas when faced with trying situations.
Puneet is a revelation. It’s not easy to be oneself onscreen. There were apprehensions that he did not have enough screen time to satisfy his fans but his role and performance will surprise them. Mohanlal proves again that it’s not the length but substance in a role that matters. He doesn’t act. He becomes. Atul Kulkarni’s is another finely nuanced performance. The kids are naturals. Giriraj has a long way to go, technically. The cinematography is unnecessarily gimmicky in some scenes and the shot taking leaves a lot to be desired. I wish he had selected and handled the fringe actors better. That’s the hallmark of a good director. In the end you walk away, content. It’s a long time since you watched a meaningful Kannada film with good intent.
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In the days long gone by there were pen pals, people you hadn’t seen but corresponded with hoping to meet some day. Gautam Menon and I have been phone friends for nearly a decade. I finally met him when I dropped in on a set where he was shooting an ad for a soft drink.
There was only time to exchange pleasantries since it was a street sequence with an array of vehicles. Dhanush was going through the motions. It’s only in ads that people get equally excited about a soft drink as much as a toilet cleaning liquid! Gautam promised lunch that was not ‘usual film set fare’. There was a sumptuous spread that would have given a Marwari wedding a run for it’s money. I was waiting to bid farewell when a gentle tap made me turn.
There was Puneet with a funky new hairstyle. He was doing the Kannada version. He’s excited about a script Santosh, the director of ‘Mr. & Mrs. Ramachari’ recently narrated. I told him he should work with Gautam. “We’ve been in talks for a long time. It would be an honour,” said the humble star. Gautam is equally kicked. Let’s look forward to an announcement in the near future.
sshivu@yahoo.com
