MY IMPRESSIONS ON GANDHADA GUDI 2022

    There are very few movies filmed like a documentary that are worth watching twice. "Gandhada Gudi - Journey of a True Hero", a Kannada movie by Amoghavarsha on Karnataka's wildlife featuring actor and superstar Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar is one such movie. When I saw that the movie is released on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video, I was excited. I wanted all of us at home to watch it. We began watching the movie together, my wife, my mother and I. For the next 90 minutes or so, all of us were engrossed in the movie. The photography, the music, the places and the people captivated us. At the end of it, I was left with mixed feelings: on one hand, we have lost a talented actor who retained his simplicity until his untimely demise; on the other hand, the places and the visuals in the movie made me feel refreshed and energised. A couple of days later, my wife's brother visited us. I told him about the movie - and again all of us at home watched it with him and his family. He had planned to leave earlier, but caught in the narration of the movie, he and his family watched it completely and only then left us. I have watched the movie twice and am quite willing to watch it again !

    I regret that I did not watch "Gandhdada Gudi" in the theatres. I am sure I would have enjoyed the big screen experience. When the documentary "Wild Karnataka" filmed by Amoghavarsha featuring Sir David Attenborough's voice released, my wife and I watched it in a theatre. The wildlife photography in the documentary is lovely. I knew that any movie by Amoghavarsha would feature good cinematography. After Dr. Puneeth passed away, the demand for watching "Gandhada Gudi", his last movie soared. In the initial days, I was unable to get tickets online - and then by the time I found that tickets were available, the theatres screening the movie were relatively far, dissuading me to watch the movie there. Finally, I was able to view "Gandhada Gudi" only when it was available on the streaming service. I missed experiencing it in the movie theatre, but  I am glad that at least I have watched this thought provoking movie.

    The director Amoghavarsha had visited my office as part of the Karnataka Rajyotsava celebration in November 2022. Listening to his experience about the movie, I thought it must be a landmark movie. Indeed, that is the case: the movie is picturised superbly and a fitting tribute to a legend.

    There are several factors that make "Gandhada Gudi - Journey of a True Hero" stand out:
    * For fans of Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar, the fact that this was his last movie make it special. There is no acting as such in the movie which essentially covers his experiences in regions of Karnataka, including forests and hills. The movie brings out the nature of the actor, particularly his sense of curiosity and simplicity.
    * Having watched "Wild Karnataka", I expected wonderful cinematography. In spite of being prepared to be amazed, the visuals of Nethrani, the pictures from the drone, the manner in which the greenery of Malenadu, the splendour of Jog falls and the brown landscapes of Uttara Karnataka have been depicted still dazzled me. The underwater photography is an unexpected and awesome delight.
    * Millions of years ago, life began in the oceans. In the movie, it is stated that we know more about the moon than our oceans and seas ! The song "Aleya kare" ("The call of the waves") is mesmerising poetry set to contemplative music by B. Ajaneesh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cScfvBT6LGU shows the video with closed captions. This is one song that makes me philosophical, a potent combination of good music and captivating poetry.
    * There is a truthfulness in the movie thanks to Dr. Puneeth. To me, the way in which he talks about incidents from his life make the movie endearing. When he speaks of his trips to Gajanur, memories of his famous father Dr. Rajkumar, the diving done in Maldives for the movie "Ondu Mutthina Kathe" and other incidents, he brings out experiences that have formed his life. He openly discusses his fear of snakes and also the possible genesis of that fear. His candour and courage to talk about his fear reveal his open nature. The manner in which he describes about camping in the house garden shows his willingness to try out a new experience even when he was young. Hearing Dr. Puneeth speak, I could see how he has let us become a part of his life in this movie. I could understand the person behind the superstar and the legend in this movie.
    * One message that Amoghavarsha brings out in the movie is how the so called uncivilised tribes actually practice sustainability as a matter of tradition. In Uttara Karnataka, a nomadic family explains to Amoghavarsha and Dr. Puneeth that it is God who has arranged for wolves to take away sheep. If the wolves did not do that, there would be nothing for the shepherd to do, since the sheep could roam anywhere and return. However, since there are wolves, the shepherd has to be watchful and ensure that all sheep return at the end of the day ! This is such a unique perspective on life ! If it had been me, I would have cursed the wolves for taking away one of my sheep. It is the maturity of the tribe that they recognise the loss as the way in which nature works. Perhaps one day, humanity as a whole can become this mature and heal a world that is being hurt by us. The example of Nethrani demonstrates how nature can recover from the damages that we have done to the environment.
    * The hard work put in by foot soldiers of the Forest Deparment is brought out well in the movie. The guards walk many kilometers every day to check that the forest is safe. It is tiring and often, I suspect, a thankless job. Still, it is being done on a continuous basis by forest guards in all our national parks and reserved areas for wildlife. It felt good to see how the contribution of forest guards have been recognised and valued in the movie by Dr. Puneeth and Amoghavarsha.
    * The effort involved in wildlife photography is brought out during a dialogue between Amoghavarsha and Dr. Puneeth. To get one minute of wildlife footage, Amoghavarsha informs that it can take up to fifteen days. Dr. Puneeth says that for a movie, a minute typically takes a day or a day and a half of shooting. Both of them narrate incidents from their lives that bring out the uniqueness of their experiences. This is an interesting aspect of the movie.
    * Sustainability has been part of tradition in most places. One sees this in Uttara Karnataka and in the remote origin of the Kali river. It is only in the recent past (probably 25 to 50 years) when we have lost sight of this principle. In the movie, it is stated that the Earth is not a place that we have inherited from our ancestors, rather it is a place that we have borrowed from our descendants ! We need to recognise this fact and ensure that we leave it such that they can also continue to enjoy its pleasures. The movie brings out this concept in a superb way.
    * Amoghavarsha states that on one hand, this movie is of a physical, external journey that he and Dr. Puneeth undertook. On another, it is also his exploration into what makes a hero or a superstar. Amoghavarsha concludes that it is Dr. Puneeth's simplicity, sense of curiosity and willingness to adapt that leads to him being a hero. The sense of wonder in the Malenadu rain forest that Dr. Puneeth shows and the way in which he interacts with the Forest Department guards shows his simple nature.

    I felt that the movie ended too soon, even when I watched it the second time. This is a sign that of how interesting and engaging the movie is. For the next couple of days, I played songs from the movie and also the original "Gandhada Gudi" song in the morning.

    Here is an unexpected bonus about the movie: its website https://gandhadagudi.in/en has four "Behind the Scenes" videos that are all equally worth watching. The crew including the director, the music director, the production managers, the script writers and the cameraperson all talk about the process that went into making this landmark movie. One can see and listen to Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar talk about how her husband was excited about Nethrani, about camping in the forest and how he used to update her on the day's progress during the shooting of the movie. In the end, the quote from the Forest Department representative Military Mahadeva in one of the videos sums up the feeling about Dr. Puneeth well: "In all the places that I showed, Appu sir is there. He is there in the trees, in the forest, he lives in our house and in our minds."

    If you have not watched the movie, I urge you to watch it. There is a strong chance that you will like it.