Synopsis

Indu (Vidya Venkatesh) lives in Mysore. She is an artist, and has painted a portrait of Ekanth (Naveen Krishna) with whom she is in love, a business magnate who lives in Bangalore. Because of the time he has to spend looking after his business, and his father (Anant Nag), he has no time to spend on Indu, and most of the time, he is too busy to even talk to her on the phone. Indu lies to him that her parents are looking for someone for her marriage, and that person must be an IAS Officer, or he must come from a political family: they don?t want her to marry a businessman. What Indu says is untrue, because when a visiting aunt and uncle visit Indu?s family, they are told that the groom will be of Indu?s choosing.

Indu is shopping one day in a supermarket, when a young lad hands her a pink rose, and points to a young man standing behind him. He introduces himself to Indu as Kishore (Prem Kumar), and tells her that he is in love with her, and will marry nobody but her. The song is interspersed with Kishore meeting her in a coffee shop, and then on his yellow motor-bike, on the hills where she goes to paint. Each time he keeps tells her that he wants ten minutes of her time to explain. She rebuffs him every time. He gives her his cell-phone number, and says he will wait next day till dusk in the Chanmundi Hills for her response. Then he arrives in her bedroom that night, wakens her, and tells her again that he waited in the Hills all day for her, and that he only wanted ten minutes of her time. He says he is a B.A. Graduate, an eligible bachelor, and that his mother wants him to settle down and get married in two months. He says there are many beautiful women in Mysore, but he is looking for one with a beautiful mind, that?s why he has chosen Indu. It turns out that Kishore is Ekanth?s best friend, and it was Ekanth?s idea that her parents see her going around with Kishore, find him unsuitable, and then lower their expectations, and when Ekanth comes along, he will be found to be more acceptable.

As Kishore knows nothing of romance, he enlists the help of his young sister, Roopa, known as Putti. She shows him video-clips and songs from films, and says that they should let people know that they are in love, and sing and dance! Then follows Song 2, "Koorakku kallikare", which shows many beautiful locations in Karnataka. But the song annoys Indu, so much so that she slaps Kishore at the end of the song. This annoys Ekanth, but Indu says she will apologise to Kishore, and Ekanth persuades Kishore to continue, but to let Indu decide the plan. Indu and Kishore become friends. Gradually she seems to be falling in love with Kishore, and she tells him that she has felt that he could be the man in her life, rather than Ekanth. He is horrified, and says that that would be wrong, and he avoids making mistakes like that.

Then, Ekanth and his father turn up at Indu?s house, with a marriage proposal, which is accepted. At this point we see Bindu (Varsha), Indu?s younger sister, who is doing an MBA, and who hopes to help her father in his business. When they are married, Bindu asks Ekanth if he can give her a job, in Bangalore. However, he tells her that he will give her a job in Mangalore, where his close friend, Kishore is the general manager. He says she will stay with Kishore?s family, in the guest house. She obviously knows nothing of Kishore, and his friendship with Indu.

Bindu is quite different from Indu, an extrovert giving to talking feely and very outspoken. At work, Kishore is very strict with her at first, but at home he gradually learns to treat her like a guest. Gradually they become closer to each other. She is beginning to fall in love with him.

Then Ekanth dies in a motor accident. Ekanth?s father makes out documents of his entire property in Indu?s name, in case anything happens to him. Ekanth?s father wants Indu to remarry, but she says she will never remarry, when her parents ask her. Bindu says she will try to convince Indu. Then Indu says she has changed her mind, and she will re-marry. Bindu is delighted, until Indu tells her that she will marry Kishore...

Songs:

1. Nenapirali (Olavu ontiyalli)
2. Koorakku kallikare
3. Hattiradalli
4. Manase mahaa markate
5. Indhu banigelle habba
6. Nenapirali (Preethi Nanna)
7. O Beladingale

Released Year: 2005
Running Time: 142 minutes/Colour/Kannada


Review:

I watched this superb film in 2012, seven years after it was made. It is compelling viewing. The story is unusual, and the writer/director has paid great attention to detail, which you only realise when you re-watch the film several times, and it is a film well worth watching several times. It is very well directed and very well acted. All the characters are convincing in their roles. The song and dance routines are excellent ? with the most beautiful music, particularly in the title song. The lyrics are beautiful. The choreography is very imaginative, and the dancing is impeccable. The picturisation is superb, in beautiful locations, which I presume are all in Karnataka ? the car registration plates "KA..." show frequently. The only minus point for me is that on the DVD, the subtitles are missing in several important dialogues throughout the film, and two songs are not subtitled. Unfortunately I do not speak Kannada, or there would have been no problem!

My impression of the film was that is an excellent film which deserves a wider audience than people who speak Kannada. It could be dubbed in Hindi (but "Yaadein" does not sound so poetic as "Nenapirali" for the song. And anyway, Subhash Ghai has already made a delightful film in 2001 called "Yaadein" which had a totally different story).

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]