Caste violence focus of film low on craft

Paalaar

Kannada (Theatres)

Director: Jeeva Naveen

Cast: Uma Y G, Tilak A

Rating: 3/5

The Palar river flows underground for a long distance before emerging out to the surface with all its might. Similarly, in the eponymous new film — ‘Paalaar’, the rage and anxiety at mainstream Kannada cinema’s galling apathy in representing themes of caste-class violence comes out justifiably. Director Jeeva Naveen’s high aspirations to fill this alarming gap, though historic, promising hence praiseworthy, falls short in the blend of sociopolitics with the craft of cinema.

The film, set in the fictitious village of Paalaar, tells the story of a rich upper caste landlord who unleashes a series of violent attacks on a marginalised lower caste family for marrying his daughter, and the intense fight back of the victims. Showcasing the social, political and cultural life of rural Karnataka, it deals with the pertinent issues of caste discrimination, honour killings, poverty etc.

However, poor camera work and its below par editing and graphics make the film’s budgetary constraints excessively visible. In itself, this is also an ironic commentary on Kannada cinema’s poor state of affairs where mediocre and template films on overused themes are lavishly produced while the flicks on much-needed themes are few and far between.

While the cast of the film comprises all newcomers and mostly non-professionals, Uma Y G and Tilak A in their principal roles make an impression.

However, the film’s important shortcomings appear in its writing and also in the problematic treatment of violence. The characters are unidimensional and unanimated and their arcs hardly have any depth. It is difficult to ascertain whether the film’s glorification of retributive violence was lured by the pressures of commercial mass films or the filmmaker’s sympathies genuinely lie with it. The film ends with a note by the director which says the next possible installment of the film will have Ambedkarite mode of agitation.

‘Paalaar’ with all its glaring positives and negatives deserves to be seen and its themes and treatment, too, merit a thorough scrutiny and discourse. Nevertheless, the film leaves one wondering that if the filmmaker had a steady support-system at his disposal, how much he would have honed his cinematic skills.