Comic touch to a serous issue

Nodi Swamy Ivanu Irode Heege

Kannada (Zee5)

Director: Islahuddin NS

Cast: Rishi, Apoorva Bharadwaj, Nagabhushana NS

3/5

In the interplay of reality and imagination, where an individual crosses that thin line of sanity and enters insanity, the world begins to witness the overly suppressed mental netherworld of that individual. It is this aspect that the debutant director and writer, Islahuddin NS, has adapted in narrating 'Nodi Swamy Ivanu Irode Heege'.

Revolving around one of the critical stages in depression, the movie tries to be a breezy and an enjoyable watch through its humour. The film is about an individual who has reached a particular stage in depression, and has begun to lose cognition of what is real and what is imaginary.

Pushed to the limit of conceiving suicidal thoughts, the movie takes a comic flavour when the individual looks for someone to kill him.

Although Rishi, Apoorva Bharadwaj, and Dhanya Balakrishnan play the lead characters of Sai Kumar (‘Teddy Bear’), ‘Baby Doll’, and Gajalakshmi, the narrative yields to a balanced portrayal of almost all the characters who share the screen space. The movie has some recognised talents, one such is Nagabushana N.S., and it has also given a leverage to a handful of theatre artists like Greeshma Shridar and Mahadeva Prasad to exhibit their talents as artists.

'Nodi Swamy Ivanu Irodu Heege' takes a familiar concept of a heart break and the subsequent melancholy that comes with it as its plot device. The effort to talk about a critical mental condition and simultaneously make the script less serious appears laborious after a point. However, the simple yet well-timed dialogues and the antics of the characters bring out the necessary humour to keep the audience engaged.

The runtime of the film is close to an hour and a half which enables the narrative to sustain the attention of the audience while the same aspect turns a tad bit disadvantageous for no aspect is explored in great detail. For instance, we are made aware that all the characters have a past but not all of them get an agency to narrate their tales.

The slipping of ‘Teddy Bear’ into a ‘Broken Teddy’ is showcased in a lighter tone in order to make the movie less intense. However, the transitioning of scenes from one to the next happens in great speed which at times appears broken in storytelling.

The story focuses less on Teddy Bear lapsing into day dreaming but intensifies Sai Kumar’s reactions in reality. While this approach saves the audience from getting too involved in understanding the misery of a mental condition, it still leaves a gap in the overall relatability of the feeling of depression.

What seems lacking in making the script tight is managed with visual narration. At times, the movie simply follows the central character from one place to another. The attention of the audience, perhaps unintentionally, is drawn to the journey rather than the destination.

The contrast of reality versus dream is brought out in a colourful manner. The mundane colours of reality is strongly opposed with bright neon lights in the dream. The subtle details such as animating the characters in the dream, the urge to write the final ‘goodbye’ letters, and a faint glimpse of Frida Kahlo merchandise actually carry the potential of yielding to denser meanings for an observant mind.

While there is a sincere attempt to address the immediate issue of depression, especially with the increased numbers during and post pandemic lockdown, the movie does take a set back in terms of relaxed storytelling and a hurried closure.