Roopanthara

I'm late to plug in this review since I caught the film in theaters during the release week and held my review, giving it another chance on OTT to see if my reserved thoughts would change. But they didn't.

Those familiar with anthology films will know how the narrative thread connects all things, even if it doesn't seem like it at first. In Roopanthara (2024), a genuine debut from director Mithilesh Edavalath, the engaging segments were half-baked, while others were more limited but ultimately came full circle. I wish the director had stuck to the arthouse tone and made this an OTT film. Somewhere, the mix of keeping it mainstream and going bleak didn't blend well. It could have gone full-on bleak and dark or catered more to the mainstream.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad in any way, but I felt this concept was a little darker, and I expected the thread to follow the same line. However, it was engaging in parts. I loved the briefly and violent scenes, which were done really well. Raj B Shetty nailed it during his sequence, acting with a subliminal touch.

While I did enjoy this film to an extent, I feel its key notion could have been better conveyed, and the genre hopping was too much.

It's a good watch and a worthy addition to the list of Kannada cinema this year. Some were meh but still okay efforts. I won't say which were meh, but I'm thinking Moorane Krishnappa, Chilli Chicken, Shakhahaari, Hejjaru, Family Drama, Blink, maybe Juni, which was a mixed bag and more on the pretentious side and the recent hit Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali. I know we had Ondu Sarala Prema Kathe and Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi, which could be included here, but they're more on the feel-good side.

In closing, Roopanthara is worth a shot, but don't expect a masterpiece. It's more like a decent indie film that's worth a watch if you like something different.

All things brilliant in this movie. The direction is top notch. The screenplay is breathtaking. The actors have done a fantastic job. The BGM is on par with any Rahman BGMs. 4 beautifully made stories and their interlinking is a masterpiece. This movie teaches you something about life. There were few really emotional and great scenes captured through the eyes of the actors. The camera angles to capture each and every minute detail is done splendidly.

P. S - The dystopian filming sequence was amazingly done. Hats off to the VFX guys to pull it off. Its done so brilliantly that it can have a spinoff of its own.

#Excellent narration #Thought Provoking Mindful directions Every character in the movie is very realistic.

We feel we are travelling with those characters.

One of the Best experimental movie with realistic characters and beautiful screenplay.

Raj B Shetty has Rocked as always.

There is a lot of thoughts that takes you away and gives you a new perception.

Must watch feel good movie.

Each story has its own take aways.

Dialogue have been beautifully crafted.

Story of old couples have showcased the true essence of Love and the letting go part has been shown very well.

Songs have been a great add on to that circumstances.

Great direction and start cast is perfect match to the characters.

In a dystopian future, a nomad has only stories to narrate so that he can save himself from armed hunters. When he is about to be executed, he convinces them to listen to his stories and narrates four of them. One involving a beggar woman accused of kidnapping a child. A boy who has survived child abuse but is living with the scars, turning him into an anti social element. An old couple where the husband is trying to fulfill his wife's wish to visit Bengaluru city. Lastly, a local goon picking up a fight with an IT employee. What happens in each of this stories and to the storytelling nomad, with the gist of these stories being one's transformation in the ever changing world.

Mithilesh Edavalath's direction is well intentioned and driven by philosophy of basic human nature. With each phase of our lives, there comes the moment of transformation and it's upto the individual to recognize his/her moment. The anthology has it's highs and lows. The best story being that of the old couple and I could instantly connect with these characters. I might not get on board with it's ending but the emotions clicked. Similarly, the segment with the beggar woman and the masterstroke was narrating it through the new constable's pov. It made me root for the character and the ending was satisfactory. The other two segments involving the boy and the conflict between two men was half backed and rushed. I did get the point but with the time constraint, these two stories don't really drive home the point as intended. Setting aside the preachy narrative, two of the stories individually worked big time for me.

This movie is a must watch, it has beautiful 4 stories connected by a common thread.. I liked the writing and screen play, it may have its dull & slow moments but that is justified because of the emotional depth it explores.. It makes you think and motivates you at the end to look beyond your boundaries. The characters will definitely remain in your memory for some time and question your consciousness. The biggest plus to the movie is its background music, Mukundan has done an excellent job again after GGVV movie. The actors have performed exceptionally well, worth mentioning Raj B Shetty' portrayal of Rowdy and his transformation at the end.