Kannada film PUTTAKKANA HIGHWAY story

• DIRECTOR B Suresha
• ACTORS Shruti, Prakash Rai, Achyuth Kumar, Neenasam Ashwath, Srinivas Prabhu, Mandya Ramesh

Undoubtedly, it is one of the biggest challenges facing the country: the conflict between development and the subsequent displacement of people in hordes. B Suresha’s National awardwinning kannada film, based on an old story by Nagatihalli Chandrashekhar, is a take (though it does not specify) on the NICE corridor being built between Bangalore and Mysore.

Though there are characters which are happy to cruise on the new highway at 200 kmph, the kannada film is mostly about Puttakka and her struggle to save her piece of land through which the highway is proposed.

Puttakka is not alone in her struggle. The rest of the villagers also feel it is better to retain the land than pick up the compensation offered.

But one by one, they fall to the pressure and sell out. But Puttakka does not succumb to the doles, but it is a mismatch from the very beginning.

You know she will not win. So, the film becomes only a chronicle of her struggle and the effect a big project --like a highway -- has on village life. The struggle becomes a 'universal phenomenon' rather than a focused look at a problem as the filmmaker plays safe by not even mentioning the name of Bangalore.

In a bid to show that migration is universal, B Suresha makes the villagers speak in various Kannada accents. It is not as convincing as showing a Telugu-speaking labourer on the highway and Tamil-speaking vendor on a city (understood to be Bangalore) street.

The kannada film is ‘rich’ by art-house standards. Surely, it does not look like a cheap attempt aimed at minimising costs. Brilliant cinematography by Ramachandra makes it visually stunning as well.

Each character is well defined, giving space for the actors to excel. Kannada music director Hamsalekha's music and Yograj Bhat's lyrics are the highlights of the film. Though the kannada film tells every fact about the negative effects of big development projects, it does not bother to challenge the usual perceptions. It is rather a textbook effort at presenting serious questions ad answers. You know the answer and the fact that it is not the solution. A god ride, but it lacks a soul.

‘Gattimela’ comes to an end for kannada actress Shruti

After a marriage lasting a decade with her husband kannada film director Mahendar, actress Shruti applied for divorce in a family court on Tuesday. She said, “I have filed for divorce today. There are numerous personal problems between me and my husband which led to the divorce. However, I don’t want to wash my dirty linen in public. Please reflect on what I am undergoing as a woman in such a situation.”

Sources said politics played the spoilsport between the couple. Her husband had joined the BJP during the last year’s Assembly elections. Mahendar was in fact nominated as the party candidate from Kollegal. However, he lost the elections. Kannada actress Shruti, who later joined the saffron party, was made chairperson of Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation, while Mahendar did not enjoy any such power. This could have been one of the reasons for differences between the couple, said a source.

SEPARATE CAMPAIGN
Though both of them are BJP members and Mahendar himself was a candidate of the party in the last Assembly elections, the two did not participate together in the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. A source said, “Shruti participated in the campaign for nearly 30 days. She travelled without him. Mahendar was not with for even a single day.” When the wedding between Shruti and Mahendar was announced, a fan produced snaps with the actress and claimed that he was married to her. Shruti and Mahendar had to get out of Bangalore in a secretive manner to get married.

LOVE MARRIAGE
It was a love marriage between kannada actress Shruti and Mahendar. Shruti was still Priyadarshini when she first met Mahendar at the Chamarajnagar railway station where the latter was collecting tickets. Both have claimed to be childhood friends. In 1990, Shruti started her career with a small role in ‘Aasegobba Meesegobba.’ The same year, Dwarkish cast her in ‘Shruti’ from which she also got her new name. She went on to act in more than 100 films in Kannada apart from Tamil and Malayalam. Meanwhile Mahendar made a mark as a director and has more than 20 films to his credit. Shruti took semi-retirement from films and married Mahendar on Jan 25, 1998. She made her comeback acting opposite her husband in ‘Gattimela’ (wedding music). The last film the couple worked together was ‘Akka Tangi’ that was released this year.