Hebbettu Ramakka

Kalleshi is a contractor and a political henchman. He has aspirations of enjoying political power. A situation leads him to climb the political ladder with the help of his illiterate wife Ramakka. But does using his righteous wife backfire on his plans?

That Devaraj and Thara are powerhouse performers is known; Hebbet Ramakka gives both the senior actors enough space to prove their versatility. This film is entertaining and also has a message in the end. Director NR Nanjunde Gowda has chosen a subject that is relevant and the release time couldn't have been better, with the Assembly elections around the corner, considering the film revolves around politics and power play.

The story basically deals with the lives of a lower middle-class couple, where the husband harbours political aspirations and tries to use his naive wife as a pawn to achieve them. What happens when the two of them have a difference of opinion and the wife decides to stand up for herself forms the rest of the film's plot.

The film might not have a contemporary treatment when it comes to the narrative or making, but it still manages to retain the viewers' attention, thanks to its subject and powerful performances. It isn't often that one gets to root for a well-written female protagonist in films lately and that is where Hebbet Ramakka impresses. The roles of Kalleshi and Ramakka are beautifully written and the lead pair brings them alive in a wonderful manner.

Hebbet Ramakka might not be a fast-paced film that has college-goers queuing up at the cinema halls. But if the Indian audience has given films like Tumhari Sulu and Hindi Medium a chance last year, then it is high time the Kannada audience warmed up to a film like Hebbet Ramakka. The tale is inspiring, despite its non-commercial approach towards filmmaking.