'Tanuja' review: A decent social drama on a real episode

Tanuja

Kannada (Theatres)

Director: Harish M D Halli

Cast: Saptha Paoor, Rajesh Nataranga, Vishweshwar Bhat, Dr K Sudhakar, B S Yeddyurappa

Rating: 3.5/5

An experiential piece in Prajavani, the Kannada daily, inspired ace director Mansore to attempt ‘Harivu’, a 2014 award-winning Kannada film. Similarly, a weekly column in the Kannada daily Vishwavani daily by its editor Vishweshwar Bhat prompted Harish M D Halli to attempt the film ‘Tanuja’. It is based on an incident involving an MBBS seat aspirant.

Veteran politician B S Yediyurappa joins former chief ministers J H Patell (‘Avasthe’, 1987) and Ramakrishna Hegde (‘Marana Mrudanga’, 1992) in featuring in a Kannada film.

Tanuja Karegowda, a daughter of a farmer couple from a Shivamogga village, was disqualified from appearing for NEET exam on October 14, 2020, due to a technical glitch. A tweet seeking justice for a meritorious student by Vishweshwar Bhat forced central and state officers to treat it as a special case and grant her permission to appear for the exam. The tweet helped her to appear for the examination, clear it and get a seat in a Belagavi medical college.

The first half establishes the characters and the backdrop convincingly. However, the second half of the film drags and that could test the patience of the audience. The seriousness of the incident and the story’s overall message makes the film a decent watch.

The dialogue MBBS means ‘Maa Baap Ka Bada Sapna’ (parents’ great dream) deserves a mention. Harish sheds light on the pathetic condition of farmers in rural areas. The film shows thick-skinned officers with a insensitive mindset. It reflects the dedication of print media and journalists.

Harish ignites a spark of inspiration for students, parents and teachers by accurately depicting a real incident.

Tanuja, played by Saptha Pavoor, is impressive, while Rajesh Nataranga as her teacher Pradeep, steals the show. Bhat has done justice to the editor’s role. Surprisingly, Dr K Sudhakar acts with ease. As usual, Yediyurappa is serious, without a smile on his face, on the screen.