Dayavittu Gamanisi

Four individuals — one running away from marriage, one in love, one who is on a spiritual quest and another who is fed up with his humdrum existence — form the protagonists of four stories. Each story is narrated as a separate chapter, with different characters. Is there a common string tying them all together?

There are very few anthology films made in Indian cinema. When we talk about the genre, one of the first that comes to the mind is Puttanna Kanagal's Katha Sangama. There haven't been many after that in the Kannada film industry that can be termed experimental cinema. With Dayavittu Gamanisi, debutant director Rohit Padaki tries to mix this lesser-tried genre into the commercial space. While the stories have a philosophical touch, the treatment is not that of so-called experimental cinema.

This is what makes Dayavittu Gamanisi special. The film begins with the first chapter that talks about a bachelor who wants to run away from marriage and an elderly gentleman who is desperate to get his daughter married off. The theatrics of Prakash Belawadi matched with the subtle underplaying of Rajesh Nataranga's character make this a delectable treat. The second tale is of a small-time thief known as Proxy and his tryst with romance. Vasishta N Simha's expressions as the lovelorn youngster are commendable.

The third tale, which follows the story of a spiritual guru played by Avinash Shatamarshan, moves into an interesting philosophical note, when the filmmaker subtly talks about many ideas. The final tale, which follows the lives of two colleagues in an MNC, is going to resonate with many. While Raghu Mukherjee's existential crisis is like a mirror to many of the corporate workers today who lead robotic lives, Samyukta Hornad's bold act is akin to the lives of many young women professionals, who don't think twice being doing as their heart pleases. Both of them score in their realistic portrayals.

The film is a little over two hours long, with around half an hour for each story. Whether or not a couple of songs in the film were required is debatable, but the film is definitely refreshing and the stark difference in each story makes it a paisa vasool treat for those watching the film. The climax is beautifully woven. One needs to especially mention Anoop Seelin's interesting background and soundtrack for this film, which never supercede the story, but complement it in a beautiful way.

This may not be the obvious commercial entertainer with fights or double entendre-filled dialogues, but it is an interesting experience where you get four stories for one. Although one wonders if the use of just a couple of English expletives was enough for this film to be given a A certificate, for the life lessons the film points out are worth a watch for those below 18 as well.