Kerebete

Hulimane Naga (Gowri Shankar) is a Kerebete (Fish-hunting) expert from the Malnad region. Because his parents belong to different communities, he is often ridiculed in his village. This always upsets him, but he makes sure that he teaches a lesson or two to those who mock him. In a twist and turn of events, he kidnaps the love of his life, Meena (Bhavya Shivaram). What is his motive behind kidnapping Meena, and what has that got to do with Kerebete is what forms the crux of the story.
Post Kantara, plenty of films have tried to explore local cultures, and Kerebete too joins the list. As the title suggests, the popular sport of the Malnad region Kerebete (Fish hunting), takes centre stage here, and it is woven around a love story, along with the cultural taboo that exists in that part of the region. The movie beautifully showcases the beauty and culture of Tirthahalli, Soraba and Sagara, and also seamlessly includes their dialect.
A few scenes in between the interval bloc is heart-wrenching, but what stands out is the last 20 minutes of the film. The climax is sure to haunt you even after coming out of the theatres. The unexpected twist works in favour of being the crowd's favourite.
Gowri Shankar makes his mark as an angry young man, his performance is noteworthy. So is debutant Bindu Shivaram. Gopalkrishna Deshpande and Sampath Mythreya deliver emotional performances. Besides acting, Gowri Shankar has written the screenplay and dialogues, and he has aced it. Director Raj Guru has succeeded in bringing another important culture to mainstream cinema. Cinematographer Keerthan Poojari has rightly captured the beauty of Malnad through his lens. Two songs leave an impact.
The film is not without its flaws, but it still makes for a decent watch in theatres for its beautiful ode to the Malnad culture.