Jatta Movie Review

The past two months have been great for the kannada film industry, with the release of two intellectual movies - Lucia, about which I had written previously, and now, Jatta, by Giriraj BM. Speaking about Jatta is a debate that touches upon feminism, culturalism, socialism, all wrapped around the central male chauvinistic character of Jatta, played by Kishor Kumar.

Set in the beautiful locales of Sagara in Karnataka, the movie opens with a speech that introduces us to a backdrop that explains the current situation of western influence on our native culture and its ill effects. Torn between a lonely life and an eloped wife, it is up to Jatta to take upon himself the moral responsibility of the betterment of the society. For this, he believes women play a pivotal role, for which their suppression is justified, as he is advised by his mentor, played by BM Suresh. Jatta also believes the forest as his Mother, and strives to protect Her from illegal poachers and sandalwood thieves.

I shall not reveal the plot, but I shall give you a glimpse of what to expect. The film changes course once Jatta happens to rescue Sagarika (Sukrutha Wagle) from a car crash. This is where it starts to get interesting as the director excels in bringing out the contrasts between the two extreme ideologies of a hardcore feminist who religiously follows Dr Ambedkar and a hellbent male counterpart who believes women as increasingly taking the path of infidelity. Backed by other characters like the forest officer (Prem Kumar) and Jatta's wife, Belli (Pavana), the story takes on turns that, for a moment, might make you think twice.

This movie is not for the conventional thinker or cinegoer who goes to the theatre to merely feast on entertainment. Like Lucia, this movie not just makes you think, but will shatter your own ideologies and expectations, for reality is stranger than fiction. Giriraj has bravely depicted this with necessary rationalizations when required, and leaves us to make our own judgements as he leaves us in his premise of unusualness. It could come as a culture shock to some, blasphemous to others, and wondrous to many, as the mythology of an idol of a Goddess in the forest is narrated.

The film, though done on a lower budget, is intelligently done by keeping it up to the subject and not deviating out of it. Soundtrack by Ashley and Abhilash are appropriately scored situationally. Camera work by Kiran is good. Coming to the performances, Kishor is brilliant in his portrayal of the protagonist, be it his emotional state or body language throughout the film. Pavana, as Jatta's wife, has done a fine job. What requires special mention is newcomer Sukratha Wagle's performance as Sagarika. Her resilient, rebellious attitude portrays a mockery of a male dominated society, and she excels at it top notch. Prem Kumar as the forest officer is decent. Also, one would feel a few actors like the ones portraying the investigating police officer, Belli's lover, and the industrialist could have been much better. Even though their roles are shortlived, their presence adds weightage to the story and could have been performed by better actors.

Revolving around divine consideration of nature as Mother and an equally divine representation of a woman as Mother, the film deals with extramarital affairs and gender independence, trying to achieve a balance between all of it. Whether it succeeds or not shall be judged by you, after watching the film. Jatta is brave, fearless, and bold. It succeeds to create a dogmatic dilemma within you when you come out. Give this a watch if you want something out of the ordinary. And yes, do not watch it with any of your preconceived ideologies or notions in mind. Throw them all out before you take your seat and enjoy the film with an open mind. The movie deserves at least 3.5 stars for the content and its depiction. Happy watching!