KANTARA AND SUCH....

Finally I got to see Kantara, the much touted, publicised, that-which-made-so-much-money. The cocktail circuit talk was only about Kantara and if you had not seen it yet, then there was no ice for your drinks 😀. 

Since you guys know that I am attached to the visual medium, I end up watching all kinds of films. And some movies like Kantara have to be seen. Was the movie good? Watchable?

Most definitely. And that is where the saga of Kantara movie ends. It is a well made film, a movie about the struggle between the forest officials and the tribes living within the forest, in this case since time immemorial. It is about one 'wastrel' son, who turns to be the saviour at the end of the day. It is about how good wins over the evil, only the hero needs to have paan stained teeth and an urge to bellow every now and then.

Interspersing the unfolding ordinary drama with a certain mysticism, by using the Bhuta Kola, a worship of Goddesses, certainly adds colour, a cultural dimension (considering it is still in practice), and a sense of awe when it culminates with the gods siding with the wronged.

An ordinary movie, with some brilliance, my curiosity is how they are making so much of money. Those who saw it in the theatre swear by it. Dr Sunitha Krishnan, a dear friend and also a producer of a couple of films bombarded me with messages about how I must see only the Kannada version, preferably in the theatre.

So, the other night when after the special screening of Dahini: The Witch, which incidentally has won Rajesh Touchriver numerous awards, the couple came home for dinner, Murali and I got to hear the original introductory song 'Varaha...'Since the plagiarism issue, the tune of the song has been changed, which apparently changes the entire perspective of the film.

Sunitha sang along with the love song of the movie and seriously I was all pumped up for the watching. Of course she sneers at me for not seeing it in the theatre. After watching Kantara, I saw Padavettu and probably because it is set in North Kerala, here too they show a little bit of the Bhuta Kola and a wild boar plays an important role in this little village with its plantain plantations. The movie suddenly picks up pace towards the last 30 mnts and you see politics, drama and some psychology at play. 

Today I saw Chaman Bahar and this is a movie which is close to my heart. It is everyday, it is small town and it is all real. And Jitender Kumar of Panchayat fame lives his role.