This movie just won an National award for best kannada regional film..before it's release to the public....here's the review...
A MEDIOCRE CINEMA: Score - 2.5/5
BANNER: Duet Movies and Media House Studio
TITEL: Puttakkana High Way
CAST: Shruthi, Prakash Raj, Mandya Ramesh, Achyuth Kumar, Satish, Veena Sunder, Baby Prakruthi, Sihikahi Chandru, RG Vijayasarathy and others
CINEMATOGRAPHY: HM Ramachandra
MUSIC: Hamsalekha
PRODUCERS: Prakash Raj and Shylaja Nag
SCREENPLAY, DIRECTION: B Suresha
STORY: The trials and tribulations of ‘Puttakka’ in retaining her land against all odds of development is the crux of the film subject in ‘Puttakkana High Way’.
Puttakka (Shruthi) is baffled when she learns her land – the only source for livelihood is used by the government for construction of National High Way 108. She has one daughter and in the cultivation land she has buried her husband. Retaining the land and the husband burial place becomes very sentimental issues for Puttakka. She believes in the village Panchayat and accrues money to deviate the national highway not touching her land. She knows that she is caught in the web of double standard people. The huge land owner next to Puttakka in Bisilehalli village gets the compensation and contest for the elections crashes the hopes.
Like a mute spectator Puttakka swallows all her pains. When she comes back after running from pillar to post she finds to her startling information. Her daughter had taken to prostitution.
ANALYSIS: This is a film against to the development of the government. B Suresha as a director wins in explaining the sentiments but he is not convincing.
The director’s responsibility is not to show the incapability of the characters. He cannot just make them go away. When he has told the problem it is his bounded duty to give the solution. In that way B Suresha has miserably failed. The national award committee that has awarded this film as best regional cinema has not looked in to so many aspects it seems.
Development no one can escape. It becomes the law of the land it is inevitable. The government on the other hand is just not swallowing the land. It is giving good compensation to the farmers who lose their land like how it is happening with the Metro rail project.
To the present scenario the director B Suresha offers nothing. He cajoles the character Puttakka by saying he does not have papers that prove ownership of her land. In the days of former chief minister Devaraj Urs – ‘Uluvavanige Bhoomi’ – one who tills the land is the owner – law has been made in Karnataka the director has forgotten.
The most glaring mistake is by telling 2000 kilometers of National High way is undertaken in Karnataka. That is absolutely wrong. Another glaring mistake of this film is the central character going all around for two years with no avenues at her disposal.
How a village woman can go around for two years? Director B Suresha in his flash back technique of narration loses his balance.
This is a film with too many loop holes. Giving an alternative suggestion to those who lose land is what the director should have done. When the developmental projects are on no one can stop the only alternative left is channelizing the affected in the right direction.
B Suresh ‘Puttakkana High Way’ flares up the people mind against development. This is not the right attitude what a director should possess.
In unearthing the sensibilities of the affected director B Suresha is partly successful. The characters he has selected supported him.
Over all the film is striking in bits and pieces!
PERFORMANCE: One expected a tough protest in the character of Shruthi – Puttakka. There is nothing of that sort. For Shruthi this is not a challenging role. It has become very sober. Her usual trump card of oozing out tears is also missing in this film.
The stalwart actor Prakash Raj is given a paltry role. Such a towering actor cannot be used as a ‘Buffoon’. His strength and screen space should coincide. How come an actor like Prakash Raj agreed to accept this kind of sundry role. Prakash Raj thirsting for Puttakka also looks very feeble.
Srinivasa Prabhu, Veena Sunder, Sihikahi Chandru, Achyuthkumar, Satish, Mandya Ramesh and Baby Prakruthi shine in their roles.
TECHNICALITY: The three technical works – HM Ramachandra camera, Hamsalekha Music and Johny Harsha editing are the only convincing works in this film.
Showing the High way, greenery capture and wide angles are superb from HM Ramachandra. In this kind of offbeat film the songs acquiring importance is a delectable point to note. The song Nakkidyake…is naughty. Daari song has superb meaning and explains the whole cinema.
Johny Harsha in the editing has done a competent job.
LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST: A film on High Way with narrow minded thoughts!
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