Julie - 2006 $4.99

It is rather unfortunate that a large segment of the Kannada film industry does not take adequate support from the pool of rich literature in the language, but seems content to base their films on successful non Kannada films. K.C.N. films which had become a byword for producing quality focused films with original stories had a credible brand value of its own. But now even a production house belonging to this stable has tried its hand in a remake. ''Julie' is produced by K.C.N.Mohan and is directed by his wife Poornima Mohan. The film is a remake of ''Chattakkari', a Malayalam hit of sixties which had made Lakshmi an overnight star in the South. Later Lakshmi did the same role in its Hindi remake ''Julie' produced by Vijaya Productions.



The Malayalam film and its Hindi remake was directed by veteran Sethumadhavan for whom sensitive and subtle narration was the key. The story of the film dealt with the emotional trauma of young unmarried woman who gives birth to a child. How she copes with this unusual situation and sticks to her guns of not aborting the child was the main point which was well handled by Sethumadhavan. That served right in that particular time when the film was produced.



The narration of the Kannada film is just a scene to scene remake of the Hindi remake. The Kannada version has even retained the title and the tunes of the songs of the Hindi film. Unfortunately, this faithful reproduction of the sixties film does not sync with the contemporary environment when the whole social milieu, mindsets of the people and the perceptions about many things have undergone a dramatic transformation.



Director Poornima Mohan could have at least made attempts to prepare the audience for analyzing and enjoying the film fully knowing that the film belongs to the sixties. But unfortunately, the director seems to be in total confusion. While the ambience of the film as seen in the coastal area chosen to shoot the film looks like the one created to match the mood and environment of the sixties, the dresses worn by many in the film looks completely modern. Two songs of the film have been shot with an unwarranted sensuousness that was absent in the Malayalam original which focused more on the emotional consequences of an unmarried woman bearing a child. It does not strike a chord with today's audience mainly because all of us are living in the age of single parents and pre marital sex has not been considered as a sin. Many surveys have revealed that today's woman can handle any uncomfortable situations intelligently without creating any embarrassment.



"Julie" is the story of a Christain girl of a close knit family living in a coastal area. She loves her Hindu neighbour who not only reciprocates her love, but goes a step further to even seduce her. After this accidental occurrence, the hero goes out to secure a job. Meanwhile, Julie becomes pregnant and after coming to know of this development, her embarrassed mother takes her to a church in the near by place. Despite her mother's plea, Julie refuses to abort. She stays in the church for some time and gives birth to a child. Later Julie loses her father and then the mother decides to take her entire family to England where her son is working. Finally, it is a happy ending for Julie who unites with her lover even as the entire family members decide to support her.



The story and narration of the film does not jell with the present day environment where many reforms in the social and economic sectors have led to lot of changes in the way people think and perceive about many social issues. That is the reason why the film looks too dragged and worn out. The film also suffers for its slow paced narration totally devoid of sensitivity.



Ramya tries her best to carry the film, but there are no strong sequences in the film which requires her to portray the best. She looks good in modern dresses. She is really sensuous in two songs of the film. Bangalore based Bollywood actor Dino Morea who keeps his flat face throughout the film is a big let down. Chitra Shenoy over acts, while Sihi Kahi Chandru and Ramesh Bhat pass muster in the limited opportunities they have.



Another spoiler for the film is Janardhan whose photographic work has been inconsistent. In the beginning of the film, the sequences look very dull. Music Director Rajesh Ramanath has just copied the tunes of the original film to compose the songs of the film.



In totality, ''Julie" is an ordinary offering which has its subject and narrative of the sixties.

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