Kahi
Kannada (A) ****
Cast: Suraj Gowda, Krishi Thapanda, Harisharva, Matangi Prasanna, Ramesh Bhat, Kishori Ballal, Shrinivas Meshtru, Mahesh Bung
Director: Arvind Sastry
Kannada cinema seems to throw up surprises week after week. If it was Rama Rama Re the week before, this week it is the inspirational Kahi. A brave breed of independent filmmakers — confident, determined and taking a trail less trodden — are etching a new chapter for Sandalwood. Despite its title Kahi (bitter in Kannada), there is nothing bitter about this one.
Hats off to Arvind Sastry and his team, the movie is a sweet-sour, entertaining and engaging experience. Superlatively shot by Prashanth in and around Bengaluru, it’s a neat cinema where four strands of lives intersect as they embark upon a Sisyphean struggle to make meaning of their tumultuous lives. Full of philosophical undertones, Kahi is thought-provoking and cajoles audiences to reflect upon the myriad ways of life.
Akhila and Pramod are a childless couple trying to come to terms with it, while Vidya is a kleptomaniac and a Bharatnatyam dancer, saddled with a not-so-enthused hubby Ravi, the kingpin of a drug peddling racket. Hari, a poet and a druggie, falls for Vidya. He also rescues her when she is chased by store staff for stealing a dress. Raghu, a psychopath, believes his birth was an accident and detests his dad and himself.
Midhun Mukundan’s sober background score and the pitch-perfect performance of the cast make Kahi a captivating cinema that makes one’s day.