Saradara Kannada Movie Review

Kannada film industry seems to be getting more and more mature. The films are getting better and there is a distinctively different storyline in many of the movies I have watched. I don't know whether the movies are being remade from other languages or they are originally conceptualized for Sandalwood. Saradara, starring Darshan is a movie with a difference. The storyline is well narrated and it upholds the traditional Indian values of family, marriage and how things work in rural India.

Darshan plays the hero with Srinivasa Murthy, Lokesh and Tara rendering excellent support for the storyline. Maada (Darshan) is an orphan whose mother would have given him to the temple priest and breathed her last. He is raised by the village and he works for the village headman. The village headman's daughter falls in love with Maada and then the twist happens. The twist that leads to several things, more and more sadness, sorrow and grief for Maada.

Throughout the movie the importance of respecting elders, and parents is emphasized. This is much like Darshan's previous movies he seems to be taking up movies in which respect to elders is the subtle message. I guess it comes right in time when young people are abandoning their parents in favor of career and other pressing priorities. I do hope the film industry continues to get better and the social message affects today's youngsters.

Kannada Movie Review: Indra

I have started watching Kannada movies only after moving to the US. I could say that I started watching movies itself after moving here, because when I was in India every minute of my free time was spent reading about adventure travel or participating in outdoor activities. So my movie reviews may not come across as professional but just the opinion of viewers.

Indra features Darshan and Namitha in lead roles and it is the story of an educated individual who would have given up his white collar career to become a rowdy following the brutal killing of his entire family. The movie starts off with the killing of an industrialist in Mumbai close to the Gateway of India and immediately scene shifts to the Agrahara (Brahmin's colony) in SriRangapatna town in Karnataka. Indra (Darshan) is the focus in both settings. In Mumbai he is the killer and in SriRangapatna he comes to Rama Shastri's home seeking employment as a clerk in the temple.

Indra's good nature and silent demeanor captures the hearts of Rama Shastri's family members and the neighbors. Time passes on and one day Indra hears about the release of rowdy sheeter Cat Rama from the jail. This becomes the turning point of the movie when Indra murders Cat Rama in cold blood in full view of Rama Shastri. Then there is a dramatic scene in front of the Shastri residence when Indra's background is explained and shown as flash back.

The rest of the movie is how Indra eliminates all the bad elements of the state and emerges victorious. The movie deserves one time viewing and nothing more. There is no role for the heroine, her role could have as well been eliminated. Songs are totally unnecessary in this movie. The movie can be watched with family except small children who would be better off without watching all that blood and gore.