TELUGU
Nuvve Kavaali
An unique love story
Usha Kiron Movies’ Nuvve Kavaali is a youthful entertainer with good performances from debutants Tarun, Saikiran and Mumbai girl Richa. Though director Vijayabhaskar opted for a predictable end yet he has managed to sustain the tempo till the last moment. Music director Koti is back in his elements with a melodious score in the number Ekada Uno ... topping the charts. Popular child artiste-turned-hero Tarun and Richa are very impressive in emotional scenes. The film heralds the entry of a promising young actor. The basic line of friendship leading to love comes across nicely and it is bound to catch up with the youth.

Tarun and Richa’s fathers Chalapati Rao and Giribabu are best friends residing in opposite houses. Thus both Tarun and Richa become friends too and are inseparable in college. They also quarrel over petty things reminding one of the Hindi film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai many a times. Singer Saikiran falls in love with Richa and tries to woo her. When Richa goes to Bangalore, the separation makes Tarun restless and he realises that he is madly in love with her. A chance incident of a girl yelling at her friend for proposing marriage to her deludes Tarun from disclosing his love to Richa who in turn accepts Saikiran’s love with the consent of Tarun. The elders finalise the date of their marriage. When finally Tarun expresses his love, Richa is shocked and scolds him for not revealing this earlier. But finally all ends well with the consent of both the families.

Vijaybhaskar who is good at handling novel themes has slightly overlooked one aspect in the film. Richa’s reluctance to marry Saikiran is not properly established. Yet it is definitely one of the clean and neat films released in Telugu in recent past. Kudos to Vijayabhaskar and Usha Kiron Movies.

BVS

KANNADA
MUNNUDI
A breath of fresh air
Munnudi brings a whip of fresh air into India’s bizarre commercial film scene. P Seshadri, the young debutant director of the film, deserves kudos for tackling and highlighting a theme which spells social commitment and which he has handled with deligence. The film is based on a novel Muttechchera, written by Boluwar Mohammad Kunhi, three times Sahitya Academy award-winner including a fellowship. One wonders why senior directors of Kannada cinema have not touched this subject, which is so interesting and absorbing. Young Seshadri, however, has taken it up and has been very cautious in its treatment.

The film highlights the exploitation of Muslim women in the barry community of Western coast of Karavali’s Muttuchera wherein rich Arabs, who come in the guise of business, perform the nikaah ceremony but leave the women in the lurch after a few days and walk out of the country freely, giving them talaaq. This practice is still prevalent. Poverty is the only bane for such practices. The middleman supporting the Arab in continuing this practice is really ruining the decent family people.

The protagonist in the film is Rukhiya, played by Thara. An Arab is bowled over by Rukhiya’s beauty. The language barrier between the two complicates the love affair. However, through sign language, the Arab promises to return after marrying Rukhiya. He does not give talaaq and Rukhiya waits in the village. She gives birth to a female child. As the child Unnisa grows up to the age of sixteen, her marriage becomes a problem. No one in the village is ready to marry Unnisa as she is not able to locate her father. Rukhiya guards her daughter like a bird in its nest.

One fine day, Unnisa is noticed by the cruel eyes of Hasan Saab, who is struck by her beauty. When the new batch of Arabians arrives, he makes frantic efforts to arrange Unnisa for nikaah. Although Rukhiya accepts this with great difficulty on false promises, a tragedy strikes prior to Unnisa’s marriage with the Arab. Firstly, without proper kabul (acceptance) of Unnisa, the marriage is arranged by Hasan Saab. Secondly, a friend of Unnisa commits suicide as she was forcibly made to undergo nikaah to a man old enough to be her grandfather. Frustrated Rukhiya goes to the hall where her daughter’s nikaah is in progress and strongly objects to the practice.

Though director Seshadri has worked on the human sentiments in the film and has made a thoughtful approach in its presentation, there is no answer to the problem at the end of the film. There are certain questions left unanswered by the director. Agreed that he has made only a “foreword” which is the meaning of the title Munnudi).

Senior actor HG Dattatreya, in the role of Hassan Saab, outshines everyone in his dialogue delivery, mannerisms and timing. Thara, as Rukhiya, and Shimoga Venkatesh are apt in their roles. Young Chaya Singh looks bubbling with beauty. V Manohar’s background music and one lilting tune are a pleasure to hear. The photography by Sastry is also competent. This film with a serious subject and equally seriously handled can at least now bring an end to such practices on our beloved sisters and daughters.

Made under the banner of Navachitra, the film has story and dialogue by Boluwar Mohammad Kunhi, music by V Manohar, editing by Kemparaj and cinematography by BS Sastry. Being directed by P Seshadri, it stars Dattatreya, Thara, Shashikumar, Venkat Rao, GK Govinda Rao, Shimoga Venkatesh, Geetha Suryavamshi, Chaya Singh, Sudhir Raj, Vidyadhar, Mahadhali and Mohammad Kulayi.

Vashistha