The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : A meaningful commentary on society and humanity

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 12, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

A meaningful commentary on society and humanity

Matha (Kannada)

Director: Guruprasad

Cast: Jaggesh, R.N. Sudarshan, Mandya Ramesh, Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar, Shashidhar Bhat, Sadhu Kokila, Sathyamurthy Anandur, Tara, Vanita Vasu and M.N. Lakshmi Devi

COMEDIAN JAGGESH'S 100th film, Matha, has carved a niche for itself in Kannada commercial cinema. It stands above the generally ruling tinsel notions of hero, heroine and villain in its very making at a crucial juncture when Kannada cinema has been suffering from too many compulsions.

The film shows how bold treatment, unorthodox narrative mode, intelligent characterisation, clever screenplay and purposeful dialogue can transcend the theme into a meaningful commentary on society and humanity.

The theme attempts to explore the ambitions, dreams and plight of seven unemployed and irresponsible youths, who respond to an advertisement issued by a Hindu religious institution to select a befitting heir, and the internal world of a religious institution.

Director Guruprasad employs both off beat and commercial techniques and colour grading to narrate the story underlined by comedy, satire, criticism and fantasy in all decency.

He succeeds in contriving interesting situations supported by pungent and mischievous dialogues to evoke laughter and counter-comments from the audience. But his desire to make the audience read meanings into some situations on a higher plane does not come true.

Offering puja to Brahma is rare in the traditional context. But the director offers puja to Brahma and attempts to interpret Him by adorning his faces with bronze masks that resemble rishis and bearded Western philosophers that makes little sense to the audience.

K.N. Venkatasubba Rao

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