IFFI pays homage to new wave Kannada cinema

Panaji, Nov 26 (UNI) The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) today paid homage to the new wave Kannada cinema by screening three of its best movies since the last 40 years.

The three films to be screened are Girish Kasarvalli's 'Ghatashraddha', P R Reddy's 'Samskara' and B V Karanth's 'Chomana Dudi'.

Before the screening of 'Ghatashraddha', Mr Kasarvalli said the screening of these Kannada films of the 'Navya movement' were celebration of cinema which attempted to be different from the glorified popular Hindi, Tamil and Telegu cinema.

''They were part of the Kannada literature - poetry, prose, drama and not an offshoot of any parallel cinema movement from Italy, France, Germany or even Bengal. The new wave Kannada filmmakers were not even aware of what was going around them in other states or countries. The Kannada films were more realistic and socially relevant. Even today, they have a fresh, austere image as they were not influenced from any other form of cinema,'' he said.

The 1970 film Samskara was adapted from U R Ananthmurthy's writings and was scripted by Girish Karnad. The film which revolves around a group of brahmins actually launched the 'Navya movement' in Kannada cinema.

B V Karanth's ''Chomana Dudi'' made in 1975 is based on a 1931 novel by Shivram Karanth which deals with the life of untouchables and problems they face. The film traces a tragic disintegration of a low caste untouchable family and highlights the inhuman nature of the caste system.

Ghatashraddha in 1977 by Girish Kasarvalli dwelled on orthodoxy in rural Karnataka and was a story of a child widow seen through the eyes of a young boy.

The debut feature film by Kasarvalli strengthened the 'Navya movement' in Kannada cinema in a major way.

UNI