The store at the end of the road

 "Can you get Puliyogare mix?. I have put the rice cooker on the stove and realised there is no Puliyogare mix !"

It was my wife. The advantage of having a grocery store a 100 odd feet away from home is , you could get stuff right at the last moment when needed. I stepped out of home and trundled towards the store. As I reached, a familiar sight welcomed me.

My dad was there sitting on a stool. My toddler son sitting on his lap, hiding a candy in his hand - which is grandfather had got him- lest I scold him.  This was a ritual of my dad. To sit at the provision store  with my son, talking to the store owner. His friends Mandanna, Chengappa, Bopaiah Uthappa stood around.

They moved from their ancestral villages in Kodagu looking for livelihood around same time, joined the various Public Sector Units which had opened up in Bangalore, stayed together as bachelors,  bought plots and built homes in same neighbourhood, raised families and retired. Their day now constitutes of going for  their morning walks together, to surreptitiously eat a masala dosa or a vada (which they been forbidden to eat) at a restaurant and congregate near the provision store to reminisce, compare the various ailments they are afflicted with,  discuss politics, talk to the people from the neighbourhood as they pass by.

As I was waiting for the store keeper to serve me, I heard my mobile ringing. Thinking it was my wife looking for her Puliyogare mix, I took it out. It was the alarm, I woke up and the reality hit.

I no longer stay in that locality. The grocery store had shuttered down. My dad, Mandanna, Uthappa, Bopaiah - all have passed away. Only Chengappa is alive, the last of that generation who built that neighbourhood. He still painfully walks down to the road with a crutch, stands where the grocery store once was , his rheumatic eyes searching for those who are no longer there, looking for anyone who can spare a few minutes and words with him, waiting to join his friends.

Thoughts on Jawan

 If you are someone who has not been exposed to Shankar's and scores of other Vijay, Ajith's --saving the Makkal (people) and taking on the government/system movies, but you have to write a quick essay for your class tomorrow, Jawan is the movie for you.

It takes every South mass movie and distills in to one. Multiple social issues, national security, Amma sentiment, Appa sentiment, multiple flashbacks - you name it, this has it. Sorry my bad, no sister sentiment.

Move over Motta boss from Sivaji. Add Bane from Batman for international flavour.

Rajni lighting cigarette is  for boomers. Shahrukh lighting cigar will be the standard henceforth.

Sanjay Dutt playing an IPS officer Madhavan Nair in a mundu talking about Onam and Sadhya is a sight to behold.

Post Jawan, South directors won't have anything to write for their mass heroes. Shankar should just shelve Indian 2.

Hence the rumours that Thalapathi is moving on to save the world now.... from aliens.

Everytime you think that this can't get any more cringey, Atlee says hold my beer.

I.N.D.I.A and Bharat both seems to have financed it. The pendulum swings from government corruption, suit boot ki sarkar to public service message on the importance of voting.

Finally this is the revenge of South India. For all the memes of Rajni, Balayya and Gaputan Vijaykanth that north Indians laughed at, Southies can now reply with memes of Shahrukh. Proponents of Dravidanadu should honour Atlee with their highest award. Take that indi people !. Nandri.

Kantara - The mystery of how it was envisioned !

In my note abt Vikrant Rona, when I commented abt the traditions and culture of the coastal belt of Karnataka, I did not expect to be hit with another movie, which blends the traditions and beliefs of the people of the region with a story line (some would call it simple) involving human greed, ego clash, land ownership, casteism,human & nature co-existence, with a sprinkling of romance, humour and action. The result is a compelling movie going experience which not only entertains, but enthralls you for the duration of its running time. 

 For someone from the region, its so gratifying to watch your traditions being included so seamlessly in to the story, which not only provides a glimpse in to these beliefs and customs to others and the current generation who are unaware, but also firms up the long standing conviction of the people of the region on the power and the generosity of the Daivas and the Bhootas. To do it sensitively , without a cause for complaint in the current outrage ridden times is no small feat. 

For long the mainstream Kannada movies were using the characters from Dakshina Kannada only for comedic effect, cartoonish and over the top accents. Its heartening to see that this is changing. Humour is prevalent through out the movie. But its organic and not forced, comes across as how close friends trade quips and remarks. Even the off colour remarks do not feel offensive. 

The storyline from the beginning(except the prologue with its fantastical? element) feels simple and not too different from various village themed movies we often see in Tamil. A wastrel hero with a bunch of friends, quick to anger and get in to fights, a much harried mother, an officer of the law who runs in to the hero resulting in ego clash, a romantic track, people who hate the hero and waiting for an opportunity to take him down and a seemingly benevolent landlord who supports the hero. But the way the screenplay infuses the folklore, traditions and beliefs in to the seemingly run of the mill storyline elevates the movie in to a great theatrical experience.

The clash between the forest officer and the villagers is not that of a good versus evil. But that of enforcing government rules versus the age old coexistence of man and nature. The female leads dilemma when she as a forest guard has to  act against her own kin.  Machinations of local politicians to usurp the land by abusing the same age old beliefs that the villagers hold on to. 

Hero's constant nightmares and visions alluding to the past and of things to come in future. All these elements build up to an explosive climax, which in someway makes you forget the engrossing and entertaining 120 min prior to it. Very rarely you see such a climax which both thrills and scares you. And for people who believe the power of the deities of the region, its nothing short of an incarnation of their Gods on screen.

Ably supporting are the Actors,  Cinematography, Music & the Art directors who along with director Rishab give us that mysterious forest called Kantara. But the real mystery is not the forest, its how did they come up with this cinematic vision?

Vikrant Rona and the case of creating 'Mass' content

 

1980s, a remote village in the Dakshina Kannada- Mangaluru region. Legends of bhoota, brahmarakshas galore. Age old rituals, bhootaradhane, deiva, kola. Family with a secret past. Spate of killings – including the police inspector investigating the murders. Throw in a bit of smuggling. Enter 2 strangers with their own motives– one , the long lost son of the aforementioned family and another a police officer who is the replacement of the one that got knocked off. 

This sounds like a blurb of the next Pendergast Novel or the premise of a gritty, atmospheric TV series – a la True Detective. In fact  with new comers or mid-range actors, this could have been a highly acclaimed albeit a modestly successful theatrical movie /TV series. But Anup Bhandari decides to go big. He ropes in one of the biggest star in the industry, decides to dub it in to multiple languages and on top of it, goes 3D with it. The result (at least for me) is an engaging theatrical experience.

The task of marrying content and mass image of a star is a difficult one. Anup does manage it well , even though not everything works. Credit to Sudeep for taking up the role, which relative to his recent outings, is subdued.

The flaws in the script is masked by a great technical team. The set design, background score and for me the biggest achievement is the 3D rendering. This has to be the best Indian 3D movie ever. (In fact, its better than what we see in the Marvel, DC productions). 3D has been used effectively to create the depth in the scenes and also obfuscate the fact that much of the action was shot in sets. And the gimmicky – throw stuff at the screen – parts of 3D too does startle you in couple of places. Achieving this level of immersive experience in post 3D conversion and probably at a fraction of what Hollywood spends is no small feat.

As mentioned, not everything in the script sticks. Certain scenes though look great and are there only for the loyal fan base of the star. Plot points, if you think about later (The famous Hitchcockian fridge logic), doesn’t add up.

In spite of its flaws, I would say Vikrant Rona is a creative success for its attempt in delivering reasonable good content in a super star driven vehicle, for its technical brilliance (especially the 3D conversion). For someone who is from the region where the story transpires, the Kamrottuverse has a lot of potential for  many future tales.

....on a come back trail

Another stab at reviving this blog and my attempts at writing . Its been more than a year since I last wrote and lot of things have transpired since then.

• We won a world cup and then promptly lost to England


• Yeddi is no longer the CM and a person who was better suited to record canned laughter for sitcoms has taken over the reins of the state.


• Lokpal and second freedom struggle is in progress


• Sibal and Diggy raja have rewritten the rules for speaking without thinking.


• Ra.One became a blockbuster in terms of the jokes, tweets and online discussions it generated.


• Namma Metro finally saw the light of the day.


• Rahul baba is still our youth leader and the next great hope for the country


• Behenji honoured the F1 by presiding and presenting the trophy to Vettel (who lost the next 2 races - not that I am insinuating anything)


• Didi and Amma resoundingly slapping the Commies and Stalin


• Pawar did the opposite and got slapped.


• Reality shows and News channels providing wholesome 'family' entertainment.

Big Apple beckoned me and I obliged......