Dana Kayonu
English (U/A) Cast: Vijay, Priyamani, Rangayana Raghu, Vaijanath Biradar, Natasha Stankovic, Veena Sundar, Suchendra Prasad
Director: Yogaraj Bhat
Giving urban ruminations a break, director Yogaraj Bhat turns his celluloid canvas on rural landscape with Dana Kayonu. Bhat’s village vaudeville, captures quintessential vicissitudes of pastoral life focusing on cowherds.
In Dana Kayonu, Bhat brings to fore symbiotic relationship enjoyed between village folks and their animals and the rich bucolic milieu with all its myriad hues and hungama.
However, despite Bhat’s attempt to show how human relationships take a beating when big money becomes game changer, exposing hidden avariciousness, vis-a-vis animals in their care, Dana Kayonu suffers from lack of subtle and sensitive approach to press home his point.
The narrative lacks nuance and deftness of an oeuvre like critically celebrated Thithi.
How, when a multinational company offers Rs 9 crore for prized bull Shankar which Kempa aka Docomo possesses, exposes inner demons of folks from local priest, village headman, butcher, banker and entire clansmen, including village belle Jagadamba aka Jummi (aspires to be a police woman) who owns the cow Gowri, forms the pith of Dana Kayonu.
Commercial ingredients and needless digressions, typical fights, and deluge of philosophical dialogues turn Dana Kayonu one cacophonic cauldron. Priyamani as Jagadamba is a revelation. Biradar as Kempa’s father Krishnappa and Rangayana Raghu as Subsidy, another cattle rearer, are in their elements.Chockfull of earthy and sardonic humour with visually enchanting camerawork by Sugnaan and pleasing score by Harikrishna, Dana Kayonu could have been better fare had Bhat eschewed box office entanglements.
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