MAATHAAD MAATHAADU MALLIGE
Last week, my wife and I watched the Kannada movie "Maathaad Maathaadu Mallige" (henceforth called MMM, for the sake of brevity!). The website of the movie is at http://www.mathadmathadumallige.com/, directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekar. He chooses current themes for his films. All his earlier movies also had the same relevance. "America America" dealt with the migration of Indian middle class to USA while "Hoomale" is a story set in Assam. The topical nature of his movies make them interesting to watch. His personal website is http://www.nagathihalli.com/films.html.
The second aspect I like in his movies is the way he names his characters ! So, in "America America" there is a Bhoomika, a Shashank and a Surya. The names translate to Earth, Moon and Sun and the three characters form the eternal romantic triangle in the movie. In the dialogues of the movie there are puns around their names that fit in well into the movie! In MMM as well, the same preference for names is present : Dr. Vishnuvardhan is a well off flower grower in a village and he is called Hoovaiah. His three daughters are Jaji, Sampige and Mallige, all names of flowers in Kannada.
*-*-*-*- PLEASE READ NO FURTHER IF YOU PLAN TO WATCH THE MOVIE !! *-*-*-
The movie begins showing us a pictureseque and idyllic village. The villagers mainly grow flowers and a big, bad US based mining company learns that the ground may contain diamonds. The company intends to "buy" the village and resettle the villagers. Of course, rather predictably, Hoovaiah convinces the villagers to stay on in their native land.
The MNC pulls out all stops to get the village. With the collusion of corrupt and selfish MLAs, minister, their lackey in the village and policemen, force is attempted to be applied. Hoovaiah intervenes and tells the politicians that no police has ever entered the village and then requests them to go away. The electronic media led by ubiquitous microphone shoving reporters too get involved and highlight the use of force in the village. For the moment, the politicians and industrialists withdraw.
Meanwhile, on the personal front, his eldest daughter falls in love with the IAS officer who comes with the politicians and police. The girl runs away to elope with the officer and when she tells Hoovaiah that he should not come in her way as it would block her happiness, he blesses her and the IAS officer. The lackey immediately launches on this event and tells the villager that if Hoovaiah could not keep his daughter at home, how could he be expected to retain their village ?! The argument wins him the support of the villagers. History repeats itself as his second daughter also falls in love with a TV journalist, who also advises Hoovaiah to take the compensation and settle elsewhere.
Hoovaiah refuses. At the same time, the government sends an emissary for negotiations. His wife tells Hoovaiah to go since the land is the only thing they have as their own ! While Hoovaiah is away, the lackey informs the police of his absence and the police contingent lands up in full force. In the battle between the villagers and the police, Hoovaiah loses his wife and his last daughter Mallige is hurt too.
The villagers desert the village and it seems that there is no hope nor any fight left. It is at this point that a fiery, radical who defines himself as a nomad, comes to the village. Sudeep, who fits the role well, brings a group of people trained in arms and urges the villagers to pick up arms to defend themselves. To me, it looked like the Naxalism in Chickmagalur is the incident which sparked the birth of this character ! The web page http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/11/22/stories/2005112201401200.htm has an article on this. Hoovaiah's youngest daughter is roped in and she learns reluctantly to wield a gun. The rebels blow up a bridge just as the politicians and the lackey come on it, but the unfortunate part is that two innocent people also die. The youngest daughter is anguished at this turn of events and gives up the gun and tells Hoovaiah.
The pained and hurt Hoovaiah responds in the only manner he knows. He goes on a fast unto death. This brings in the whole media circus. The police wrongly believe him to be the mastermind behind the bridge blast and again come in full force. But this time, the villagers, learning of Hoovaiah's fast, are with him and prevent the policemen from reaching him. In the climax, we learn that the Supreme Court brings a stay on mining.
The strength of this movie lies in its story. For this reason alone, it is worth watching it. Apart from its topical relevance, there are also a few other thoughts that spring to my mind : is globalization always at the cost of indigenous people and their livelihood ? Can non-violence succeed in today's world or is violence the only resort for oppressed people ? Are courts and the judiciary the sole democratic institutions that work honestly ?!
Hoovaiah meets the Naxal like Sudeep and the two conflicting ideologies of non-violence and violence are debated for a brief while. The role of the media is also highlighted in the movie. At crucial points, it is the media and specifically the television medium that triggers change.
In my opinion, the performance of all the actors is above average. The scene when Hoovaiah wants to talk to his wife about their first daughter eloping, shows trepidation and anxiety in Vishnuvardhan's manner. He is excellent in that scene ! However, to me, the scene stealer is Sudeep. His entry in the movie is only in the second half, but his very presence brings vitality into the movie.
It is interesting to watch him see Hoovaiah fast and then the media arrive. His group of people are ready to fire at the police, but he asks them to stop it as he sees the people themselves build a protective barrier. It appears that he is acknowledging the power of the media. When news of the Supreme Court decision arrives, he tells Hoovaiah and the villagers that he will be heading to another village that needs him. It is unclear if he has renounced violence, but clearly he has seen that Hoovaiah's tactics and ideology can work !
My big doubt at the end of the movie is : "Is it fair to brand all MNCs as evil" ? When Hoovaiah meets the politicians, he reels statistics about the kind of displacement of villagers that are caused by MNCs. I am sure there is a lot of truth in those statistics. However, what is also clear is that development of any country needs big companies. I guess the point is to go in for development systematically, taking all sections of society along ! In fact, even in the movie itself, were it not for the media and the ubuquitous microphone shoving television medium journalists, Hoovaiah's campaign may not have had the effect it did have ! There are a lot of problems with the content on television, but the medium itself can be harnessed.
The music also is a cut above the average, with two catchy songs : the title track and the song chanted by Sudeep "Yella maya". The latter song speaks of the transformation that Indian society is going through, largely because of globalization : the girls use all types of make up, soft drinks have replaced coconut juice, etc.
I have one quibble : it is unclear what geographical area the movie is set in. Hoovaiah wears Coorgi attire, but the place appears not to be Coorg !
All in all, this movie has a lot going for it : the song, the performances and above all the story. Not only is the story relevant, it also makes one think. Given a chance, I could watch this movie again !
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NOTE:
I had originally written this blog in another site. Since that site is no longer accessible, I am uploading it in this blog at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/ using the same date as the original blog dates.
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===== COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS =====
++++++ BEGINS ++++++
When I created my first blog, I thought I was
being clever by being "anonymous" and let my
opinions speak for themselves (see the archive !)
Imagine my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still retain the blog
name as "Anonymous Expressions", I will only
request you to ignore my name and concentrate on
my opinions instead !
ALL COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED
AS THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR OWNERS.
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs are my
personal opinions. Please tell me if you spot any
factual mistakes or don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your point, I will
correct the mistake. You can email me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
++++++ ENDS ++++++
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Last week, my wife and I watched the Kannada movie "Maathaad Maathaadu Mallige" (henceforth called MMM, for the sake of brevity!). The website of the movie is at http://www.mathadmathadumallige.com/, directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekar. He chooses current themes for his films. All his earlier movies also had the same relevance. "America America" dealt with the migration of Indian middle class to USA while "Hoomale" is a story set in Assam. The topical nature of his movies make them interesting to watch. His personal website is http://www.nagathihalli.com/films.html.
The second aspect I like in his movies is the way he names his characters ! So, in "America America" there is a Bhoomika, a Shashank and a Surya. The names translate to Earth, Moon and Sun and the three characters form the eternal romantic triangle in the movie. In the dialogues of the movie there are puns around their names that fit in well into the movie! In MMM as well, the same preference for names is present : Dr. Vishnuvardhan is a well off flower grower in a village and he is called Hoovaiah. His three daughters are Jaji, Sampige and Mallige, all names of flowers in Kannada.
*-*-*-*- PLEASE READ NO FURTHER IF YOU PLAN TO WATCH THE MOVIE !! *-*-*-
The movie begins showing us a pictureseque and idyllic village. The villagers mainly grow flowers and a big, bad US based mining company learns that the ground may contain diamonds. The company intends to "buy" the village and resettle the villagers. Of course, rather predictably, Hoovaiah convinces the villagers to stay on in their native land.
The MNC pulls out all stops to get the village. With the collusion of corrupt and selfish MLAs, minister, their lackey in the village and policemen, force is attempted to be applied. Hoovaiah intervenes and tells the politicians that no police has ever entered the village and then requests them to go away. The electronic media led by ubiquitous microphone shoving reporters too get involved and highlight the use of force in the village. For the moment, the politicians and industrialists withdraw.
Meanwhile, on the personal front, his eldest daughter falls in love with the IAS officer who comes with the politicians and police. The girl runs away to elope with the officer and when she tells Hoovaiah that he should not come in her way as it would block her happiness, he blesses her and the IAS officer. The lackey immediately launches on this event and tells the villager that if Hoovaiah could not keep his daughter at home, how could he be expected to retain their village ?! The argument wins him the support of the villagers. History repeats itself as his second daughter also falls in love with a TV journalist, who also advises Hoovaiah to take the compensation and settle elsewhere.
Hoovaiah refuses. At the same time, the government sends an emissary for negotiations. His wife tells Hoovaiah to go since the land is the only thing they have as their own ! While Hoovaiah is away, the lackey informs the police of his absence and the police contingent lands up in full force. In the battle between the villagers and the police, Hoovaiah loses his wife and his last daughter Mallige is hurt too.
The villagers desert the village and it seems that there is no hope nor any fight left. It is at this point that a fiery, radical who defines himself as a nomad, comes to the village. Sudeep, who fits the role well, brings a group of people trained in arms and urges the villagers to pick up arms to defend themselves. To me, it looked like the Naxalism in Chickmagalur is the incident which sparked the birth of this character ! The web page http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/11/22/stories/2005112201401200.htm has an article on this. Hoovaiah's youngest daughter is roped in and she learns reluctantly to wield a gun. The rebels blow up a bridge just as the politicians and the lackey come on it, but the unfortunate part is that two innocent people also die. The youngest daughter is anguished at this turn of events and gives up the gun and tells Hoovaiah.
The pained and hurt Hoovaiah responds in the only manner he knows. He goes on a fast unto death. This brings in the whole media circus. The police wrongly believe him to be the mastermind behind the bridge blast and again come in full force. But this time, the villagers, learning of Hoovaiah's fast, are with him and prevent the policemen from reaching him. In the climax, we learn that the Supreme Court brings a stay on mining.
The strength of this movie lies in its story. For this reason alone, it is worth watching it. Apart from its topical relevance, there are also a few other thoughts that spring to my mind : is globalization always at the cost of indigenous people and their livelihood ? Can non-violence succeed in today's world or is violence the only resort for oppressed people ? Are courts and the judiciary the sole democratic institutions that work honestly ?!
Hoovaiah meets the Naxal like Sudeep and the two conflicting ideologies of non-violence and violence are debated for a brief while. The role of the media is also highlighted in the movie. At crucial points, it is the media and specifically the television medium that triggers change.
In my opinion, the performance of all the actors is above average. The scene when Hoovaiah wants to talk to his wife about their first daughter eloping, shows trepidation and anxiety in Vishnuvardhan's manner. He is excellent in that scene ! However, to me, the scene stealer is Sudeep. His entry in the movie is only in the second half, but his very presence brings vitality into the movie.
It is interesting to watch him see Hoovaiah fast and then the media arrive. His group of people are ready to fire at the police, but he asks them to stop it as he sees the people themselves build a protective barrier. It appears that he is acknowledging the power of the media. When news of the Supreme Court decision arrives, he tells Hoovaiah and the villagers that he will be heading to another village that needs him. It is unclear if he has renounced violence, but clearly he has seen that Hoovaiah's tactics and ideology can work !
My big doubt at the end of the movie is : "Is it fair to brand all MNCs as evil" ? When Hoovaiah meets the politicians, he reels statistics about the kind of displacement of villagers that are caused by MNCs. I am sure there is a lot of truth in those statistics. However, what is also clear is that development of any country needs big companies. I guess the point is to go in for development systematically, taking all sections of society along ! In fact, even in the movie itself, were it not for the media and the ubuquitous microphone shoving television medium journalists, Hoovaiah's campaign may not have had the effect it did have ! There are a lot of problems with the content on television, but the medium itself can be harnessed.
The music also is a cut above the average, with two catchy songs : the title track and the song chanted by Sudeep "Yella maya". The latter song speaks of the transformation that Indian society is going through, largely because of globalization : the girls use all types of make up, soft drinks have replaced coconut juice, etc.
I have one quibble : it is unclear what geographical area the movie is set in. Hoovaiah wears Coorgi attire, but the place appears not to be Coorg !
All in all, this movie has a lot going for it : the song, the performances and above all the story. Not only is the story relevant, it also makes one think. Given a chance, I could watch this movie again !
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
NOTE:
I had originally written this blog in another site. Since that site is no longer accessible, I am uploading it in this blog at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/ using the same date as the original blog dates.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
===== COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS =====
++++++ BEGINS ++++++
When I created my first blog, I thought I was
being clever by being "anonymous" and let my
opinions speak for themselves (see the archive !)
Imagine my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still retain the blog
name as "Anonymous Expressions", I will only
request you to ignore my name and concentrate on
my opinions instead !
ALL COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED
AS THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR OWNERS.
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs are my
personal opinions. Please tell me if you spot any
factual mistakes or don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your point, I will
correct the mistake. You can email me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
++++++ ENDS ++++++
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
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