Crackling courtroom drama

Dashamukha
Kannada (U)
Cast: Ravichandran, Anant Nag, Dattatreya, Avinash, Devaraj, Chetan, Akanksha, Malavika, Saritha, Ramesh Bhat, Achut Rao, Jai Jagadish
Director: Ravi Srivatsa

Comparisons are odious. If one is a 1957 celebrated classic, the other, closer home, is more a middle-of-the-median commercial concoction. Nothing more, nothing less. Inspired by Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men, and adeptly adapted to the local milieu, director Ravi Srivatsa has done a decent job with Dashamukha.

However, this appreciation is not unqualified, but comes with several riders. While Dashamukha does turn out into a rivetting and compelling courtroom drama, despite its highly theatrical rendition, Srivatsa’s deification of an otherwise aged, portly Ravichandran is distracting.

Similarly, Srivatsa’s parochial pontification on the pathetic situation of the Kannada language also puts Dashamukha in a pitiable light.

An equally silly and superficial caricature of Saritha as Savitha Jagadish, a cinema-crazy housewife hiding her mobile phone to answer hubby’s calls being on their movie date, could also have been easily eschewed to turn Dashamukha into an eclectic experience.

While overt concentration on Crazy Star is a tad off-putting, fumblings of Saritha, instead of providing comic relief, only distracts audiences from the otherwise serious character play and individual psychological study at hand it projects.

Without them, Dashamukha, seasoned with sparkling satire and stinging irony, besides vitriolic venom spewed on corrupt politicians, upperclass bashing of impoverished lot, was fodder enough to ensure Dashamukha singed one like a molten fire.

Thus, meritorious in intent, but mundane and mediocre in execution, Dashamukha has spark and spirit to turn into a sizzling, seminal satire, but is ruefully undone turning it into a tedious, yet taut treatise on social attitudes and personal quirks and quibbles.

Turning by its pivot its tagline — trials are too important to be decided by the juries, Srivatsa’s Dashamukha, pits a ten-member jury, unlike Lumet’s dozen, to decide the guilt or acquittal of a son — Agni (metaphorically named — given that he is a die-hard votary of Kannada), having supposedly knifed his father during a heated argument over Agni’s Kannada preoccupation and joblessness compounded with having a soft corner for a physically challenged girl.

Indeed, despite all the chinks in its cinematic canvas, a heavily homily-driven Dashamukha makes for a meaningful time at the movie and is indeed laudable of the braveheart Srivatsa who has sought to tread off the beaten trail. Srivatsa is a sure sign there is still hope for decent, discerning cinema (though inspired) even if it is not arthouse, for which he needs to be commended.

However, if Dashamukha, for all its flaws and faults, has one in its thrall, it is thanks to the thespian in seasoned veteran Anant Nag. Minus Nag and his powerhouse, pithy performance. Dashamukha would have been all drivel and damp squib even with Crazy Star at the helm.

Dashamukha certainly makes your day at movies after a long, long, time and well worth a dekko and all encouragement Srivatsa and his ensemble entertainers deserve. Bravo!