'Tothapuri' movie review: Undone by a water-thin story

Thothapuri Chapter 1

Kannada (Theatres)

Director: Vijay Prasad

Cast: Jaggesh, Aditi Prabhudeva, Suman Ranganathan, Hema Datt

Rating: 2.5/5

Vijay Prasad’s ‘Thothapuri Chapter 1’ may be summed up in just one line: Eregowda (Jaggesh), a farmer and a tailor and Shakeela Banu (Aditi Prabhudeva), a banker, are in love and decide to inform their elders about their decision to get married. It concludes with an interesting conflict thrown at us and leaves the story open for a second part.

Prasad takes two hours and 15 minutes to establish characters and their backgrounds. He stretches the story as much as possible by piecing together disjointed scenes with plenty of double entendre. He needlessly repeats some philosophies like: All human beings are equal and overcoming man-made barriers of faith are needed for a content life.

The movie lacks freshness. Prasad has retained the narrative technique he experimented with in his recent outing ‘Petromax’. Here, he uses three characters from different religions to narrate the story.

Undoubtedly, the movie has some merits. Dialogues are introspective and thought provoking. It’s a satire on barriers of orthodoxy. It stresses the need to transcend tradition and ancestry. The movie mocks the self-proclaimed guardians of different faiths in contemporary society.

Its release, when religious fundamentalism and caste consciousness are used to divide human communities, is timely. You sense sincerity and intuitive perspective in the director’s ideas. However, a taut script and more rewriting could have turned the game in Prasad’s favour.

Jaggesh and Aditi as lovers are outstanding. Veena Sunder and Hema Datt are impressive. Anoop Seelin’s music composition is a plus with two songs being memorable. With a glimpse of Dhananjaya in the end, the second part has raised curiosity.