Thithi not an end but a beginning of understanding the milieu of life

After  hearing  rave reviews  about the  kannada movie “ Thithi” which has bagged some prestigious awards outside the  country, i decided  to watch  the movie without  any pr-expectations and i was in a for a mild surprise.

This is a first attempt movie   by the writer and the director.  They seemed to have got their specs right.   The film showcases the village life somewhere near Mandya. The  actors  are  all  from the  village with  no prior experience in movies  and  they  have  portrayed   their  actual  daily life.

  

The story spans four generations with Century Gowda at the top of the pyramid.  Now let us look at how each generation is portrayed.

Century Gowda who is almost 100 years old is shown only for a few minutes in the beginning but he sets the pace for the entire movie, with his rustic and caustic brand of humour.  He had his flings and dalliances with women in his younger life.

He is sitting on the village bench and passing comments on everyone passing by and through him we get a peek into everyone’s life.  He comments on everyone right from giggling  school  children passing by to  the elders of the village.  It is this interest in everyone’s life that  keeps his  heart ticking for such long years. He is interested in what is happening in his surroundings.  He dies and the story unfolds.

Century  Gowda’s  son  Gadappa is  also  quite old and  he  seems  to  be  always  walking around  aimlessly  gulping his  tiger brand of  alcohol.  Slowly  as  the movie  progresses  we  realise  he  has faced  all  sorts  of problems  and  discharged  his  responsibility of  looking  after  all the  near  and far  family members.  He speaks very little in the movie but when he speaks he speaks  with wisdom  culled out  from the experiences of his life.  He  tells  what  has  to happen  will  happen  and  we  have to  remain happy  always.  As per him what has happened in the past is no  more than a movie if we  look back.  He  also enjoys  playing tiger and the goats  game  with  the  children  and  through  the game  gives them wisdom of life.

Gadappa’s son is the main character of the movie.  He takes the responsibility of performing  the  Thithi of his  grandfather  Century Gowda.  For the  11^th  day  ceremony, he  makes  elaborate preparations and calls people  from nearby  villages  where  Century Gowda  was  popular.  He  wants  to lay his  hands on his  grandfather’s land  nearby  for which  he  does  all  sorts  of  exercises.  He gets a death certificate made for his father  though he is  still alive.  He  packs  of  his  father  with some money  to disappear  from the village  for about six months  until he  sells  the land.

In the end all his efforts come to a nought and he is distraught. The director deos not show what happens later.  He just shows evil doings does not pay.

Now  coming  to  the  great grandson of  Century  Gowda  he  is of a  typical  bindaas  type.  He and  his  friend  do  the desilting of  sand  nearby  the river.  Rest of  the  time  they are  having  a  gala  time playing  bets  on cards  and  boozing.  They do not have any aspirations in life.

The  grandson is  watching on his  mobile  all  forbidden  things  and  he  gets  attracted  to  the next  village girl.  He is trying to  woo  her  with  his  own brand of  style or no style. He finally makes her like him.  

The film  does  not  have   background  score music,  songs or  any other props which other movies use.  We  can  hear  the  natural  sounds of  the  village like  the river flowing sound, cackle sound of  hens running around, bleating sound of  goats and  the  Baa  sound of sheep all of  which  adds  authenticity to  the  village  background. 

It  is  a  good  effort  by  the  writer  and the  director  duo  in  coming out  with a  story around  an event  in a village.  They  seem  to be  bold  in charting a  new course in the making of a  movie  and  as  per me  that  is  the reason  for the success of  the movie.