<p>Ondu Motteya Kathe<br />Kannada (U) 4/5<br /><br />Cast: Raj B Shetty, Amrutha Naik, Shreya Achan, Usha Bhandary Shailashree, Prakash Tuminadu, Vj Vineeth, Rahul Amin, Deepak Rai Panaje, Ramdas<br />Director: Raj B Shetty<br /><br />Having wowed audiences at Indian film festivals in New York and London, Raj B Shetty’s Ondu Motteya Kathe is here to bowl over the home crowd. And what a movie it is! Soulful, comical, yet profound in its thematic premise.<br /><br />Debutant director Raj Shetty — who also plays the lead role gloriously — tackles a touchy subject in this wholesome entertainer. Through protagonist Janardhan — a 28-year-old Mangalurean Kannada tutor — Shetty brings to the fore social prejudices and stereotyping that baldies face, as also similar issues related to physical attributes. <br /><br />A die-hard advocate of Kannada language, Janardhan has one simple mission in life — get hitched to a beautiful woman. Woefully, he is bald, or egghead as the title goes. <br /><br />The family priest counsels him to either get married within a year or spend his entire life a bachelor, and Janardhan goes about bride-hunting, his concerned mother in tow. <br /><br />While many reject him after a look at his bald pate, Sarala fancies him due to his simple disposition. But all Janardhan can see is an obese woman. <br /><br />The comedy is also an ode to matinee idol the late <br /><br />Dr Rajkumar with obvious references to the man and his films. <br /><br />Ably supported by an elevating score by Mithun Mukundan and performances by first-timers, Ondu Motteya Kathe drives home the message — beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. <br /><br />That it is skin deep and one needs to come to terms with it and appreciate one’s inner self. <br />Great show. After all, Ondu Motteya Kathe could be your story as well.</p>
<p>Ondu Motteya Kathe<br />Kannada (U) 4/5<br /><br />Cast: Raj B Shetty, Amrutha Naik, Shreya Achan, Usha Bhandary Shailashree, Prakash Tuminadu, Vj Vineeth, Rahul Amin, Deepak Rai Panaje, Ramdas<br />Director: Raj B Shetty<br /><br />Having wowed audiences at Indian film festivals in New York and London, Raj B Shetty’s Ondu Motteya Kathe is here to bowl over the home crowd. And what a movie it is! Soulful, comical, yet profound in its thematic premise.<br /><br />Debutant director Raj Shetty — who also plays the lead role gloriously — tackles a touchy subject in this wholesome entertainer. Through protagonist Janardhan — a 28-year-old Mangalurean Kannada tutor — Shetty brings to the fore social prejudices and stereotyping that baldies face, as also similar issues related to physical attributes. <br /><br />A die-hard advocate of Kannada language, Janardhan has one simple mission in life — get hitched to a beautiful woman. Woefully, he is bald, or egghead as the title goes. <br /><br />The family priest counsels him to either get married within a year or spend his entire life a bachelor, and Janardhan goes about bride-hunting, his concerned mother in tow. <br /><br />While many reject him after a look at his bald pate, Sarala fancies him due to his simple disposition. But all Janardhan can see is an obese woman. <br /><br />The comedy is also an ode to matinee idol the late <br /><br />Dr Rajkumar with obvious references to the man and his films. <br /><br />Ably supported by an elevating score by Mithun Mukundan and performances by first-timers, Ondu Motteya Kathe drives home the message — beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. <br /><br />That it is skin deep and one needs to come to terms with it and appreciate one’s inner self. <br />Great show. After all, Ondu Motteya Kathe could be your story as well.</p>
