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Wednesday, April 24, 2024
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KANNADA PRARTHANE
EDITOR'S PICK
Rating: *** 1/2
Journalist Sadhashiva Shenoy has shows a lot of promise with his first
directorial venture "Prarthane", which shows how Kannada medium
schools are neglected in the state. The film is appropriately timed as there is
a move by the state government to close down such schools where the attendance
is below 10 students per class.
The English medium schools are flourishing even in the rural areas as villagers
prefer to send their children to the `well run` English medium schools despite
abnormal admission rates. Kannada medium schools not only suffer from
infrastructure, but
lack of quality teachers.
Shenoy throws light on this aspect as well as United Nations report which has
warned that many local languages, including Kannada, are on the verge of
extinction because of the absolute loss of focus in developing the languages.
Shenoy narrates the film in an interesting fashion and engages the viewers. He
is also successful in sending out his message through brisk narrative and
penetrative dialogues.
J.M. Prahlad, who has written the story and dialogues of the film, has to be
complimented for writing such a contemporary story.
The starting sequence and the end scene leading to the climax will really touch
viewers` heartstrings. It will also make viewers introspect about the present
situation where regional languages are facing a big threat from the spread of
English language.
Shenoy teamed up with some of the best artists in the Kannada film industry like
Anant Nag, Prakash Raj, Pavithra Lokesh and many others and it made his work
much easier. His screenplay is the real hero as he does not allow the narration
to deviate from the prime focus.
Shenoy should be complimented for not making the film too melodramatic. He
narrates the sequences as an honest reporter without taking sides and not
allowing sequences to have sentimental overtones.
The film suffers from technical hitches, perhaps because of budget constraint,
but still it is better placed.
Anant Nag as a Kannada teacher who puts his heart and soul to make his
institution a a model school proves once again that he is a top line actor in
the country. His dialogue delivery, controlled performance is sure to win the
heart of viewers.
Without a doubt Prakash Raj is brilliant too.
If Pavithra Lokesh, Dinesh Mangalore, Ashok, B.C. Patil shine in their
respective roles, child artists too have excelled in their roles. Veera Samarth
gives a good background score for the film and the song "Jayabharathi"
is soothing to ears.
Camera work is average.
"Prarthane" is a really good attempt and deserves to be encouraged.
