Review

First the review, then the synopsis! This is a ?must watch? film.

These days there is always a yearning for what is new. By such standards, this marvellous film would probably sink into oblivion, and be lost forever. It was made in 1996. It features on many internet websites, but today, in January 2013, not one of them gives a clear narration of the story of the film, nor even a complete cast listing.

These days there is also a yearning for what they call ?reality? television, where real people are put in unreal situations! Well, this film is a film about ?real? people in a ?real? situation. The entire film was shot without a screenplay. It almost seems like a documentary at first ? but it is a very real story. The DVD is Digitally Re-Mastered from Original Film.

Manoj, the hero of the story is a movie director, who goes looking for locations for his next film. He goes to stay with his good friend, Praveen, in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, where he sees the very beautiful Satoddi Waterfalls, and the spectacular rock outcrops, the Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and the smaller Mohini Shikhara, in Yana. I gather that the area became quite popular with tourists as a result of this film. That is hardly surprising, because the film shows the beauty of these places, and of other parts of the region: it shows the simplicity of village life, and the affection and love of the people for a stranger in their midst.

Oh, yes, and what about the story, you ask? The movie director falls in love with a village girl, Suma. Then he finds out that his friend Praveen is also in love with Suma. The ?love triangle? is a familiar theme in Indian movies, but here it is told in a new and fresh way. If it said, at the end of the film, that it was based on real characters, and situations that were true, you could believe it.

All the songs have lovely tunes, lyrics, choreography and picturisation. The first is sung by Suma, against the background of the waterfall. The second, sung by Manoj to his ?beautiful village dame? features Suma and a group of female dancers. Each costume change has delightfully contrasting colourful costumes. The third song, by Suma, is imagined as being set in the recording studio. The fourth song is sung in the rain at the Sirsi festival. Song 5 is a song of despair sung by Manoj, and song 6 is another group song/dance, featuring Suma and Manoj

Now read the synopsis, then get the DVD, then watch it!

Five stars.



Cast and Crew

Starring: Shivraj Kumar, Ramesh Ramesh Aravind, Prema, Ramesh Bhat, Kashi, Suman Nagarkar, Pavitra Lokesh,
Master Vinayak Joshi, Prema
Director: Sunil Kumar Desai
Producer: Jayashridevi
Music Dir: Illayraja
Lyricist: K. Kalyan
Singers: S.P. Balasubramaniam, K.S. Chitra, Manjura Gururaj, Illayraja
Distributor: Sri Sri
Genre: Romance, Drama

Synopsis

Manoj (Shivaraj Kumar) the hero of the story is a movie director, whose father is a Singer and Music Director. He tells his producer (Avinash) that he plans to visit different locations for his forthcoming film. He decides to go to Karwar, which is 322 miles north west of Bangalore, in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. He then plans to stay with Praveen (Ramesh), a close friend, who lives in Yellapur, also in Uttara ? in order to see the location, and to shoot the location on video. Praveen says that Pramod Hegde is the best person to guide him
Next day, Manoj goes for a walk by the beautiful Satoddi Waterfalls, where he hears a girl with a beautiful voice. He films her, but when she sees him, she runs off. Then he meets a young lad, Deepu (Master Vinayak Joshi), to whom he shows the girl he has filmed in his video camera, and asks who she is. He tells her that she is his sister, Suma (Prema). Manoj is intrigued by the girl, and the sound of her voice. He gradually falls in love with her. He meets Shivram Dixit, her singing teacher, and Praveen?s friend, Pramod who is to be his guide. Then Praveen introduces him to Suma ? they look at each other, with love in their eyes.
There is a cry, Deepu has fallen in the well. Everyone runs to the well, and Manoj and Pramod jump in to save him. Manoj gives him artificial respiration, and everyone is relieved when he finally breathes again. Suma signals her gratitude to Manoj. They decide to go for a picnic to Yana, a place famous for two massive black, crystalline limestone rock outcrops, the Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and the smaller Mohini Shikhara. They take Suma, Praveen, Sudha (Praveen?s sister), Pramod and Maruthi (Praveen?s servant). Manoj tells Suma that he loves her, and Suma begins to gradually fall in love with Manoj.
Another girl, Jaji, arrives on the scene. Maruthi (to whom her father had promised her in marrige) had told her father that he had seen her out with Mahadev, whom she says she loves. Her back is bruised, where her father had beaten her because of what Maruthi had told him.
Manoj tells Praveen that Suma could become a very famous singer. He says he will make a recording of her voice, and send it to his father. Praveen is delighted, and so is Suma. He also sends a video cassette of her to his mother, and later tells her that she is the girl he wants to marry. However, Praveen starts to behave differently way. Sudha, his sister realises that Praveen has loved Suma for a long time, but has never told her of his love for her, and Sudha tells him that she is going to tell Manoj ? but Praveen makes her promise not to tell anybody. Manoj overhears this conversation and decides to sacrifice his love for Praveen ? but Praveen also decides to sacrifice his love for Manoj.
Who will marry Suma?

Songs:
1. Yene kogile impagala
2. Aali bavarinali suvalali
3. Omkaradi kande premanandava
4. Muthu muthu neera haniya
5. Oh! Volave manada yendu kadana
6. Manadasae hakki yagimugila

Released Year: 1996
Running Time: 167 minutes/Colour/Kannada

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]