The Australia Today team would like to wish all the wonderful ladies a very Happy Mothers Day!
There is a common saying: God could not be everywhere, so he made Mother. I am sure we have all heard this or very similar quotes in our mother tongues. For a child mother is like God! But if one has a foster mother (has raised the child) and a birth mother, which one is like God? We have seen this in our scriptures too. Mata Yashoda (foster mother to Lord Krishna) is at the same pedestal, if not higher, as Mata Devaki (Lord Krishna’s birth mother).
Here’s a perfect Mother’s Day movie that highlights the sacrifices made by a mother for her child – ‘Rathnan Prapancha‘.
This Kannada movie can be watched on on Amazon Prime. It is based on a similar theme, where a foster child accidentally realises his identity and heads out in search of his birth mother. In the process, he uncovers many aspects of his life that includes realising the importance and sacrifices made by his foster mother.
The subject, while very emotional is also very dry. However, ‘Rathnan Prapancha’ is made in an entertaining way to keep audiences glued to their seats. It is rightly considered by critics as a trend setting movie in the Kannada film industry.
The movie was shot between the first and second wave of COVID-19, particularly in Bangalore, Kashmir and North Karnataka. This would be probably amongst the first new generation Kannada movies to be shot in the beautiful locales of Kashmir. A task made easy by revoking of Article 370 in the valley thus opening Kashmir for economic boom.
I call this cinematic story telling because they have written the story in such a way that it has mass appeal across Karnataka. Purely through story telling, the movie touches upon the Muslim culture, which is a sizeable population in Karnataka. In addition, it explores the North Karnataka culture which is a unique and unforgettable experience. And it also touches upon some sensitive topics surrounding transgender people in India. These critical cinematic additions make the film’s story extremely entertaining and appealing to the audience – not just in major cities but also in rural Karnataka.
The main lead is Dhananjaya. He has earlier movies which are of a different genre. He has done a convincing job as the angry child who is frustrated by his nagging mother. On his mission to rediscover his world, he learns more about the foster mother’s sacrifices and starts softening towards her.
Reba makes a convincing debut into Sandalwood films as the female lead who accompanies Dhananjay on this self discovering journey.
The movie also stars a long list of yesteryear’s dependable stars like Umashree, Shruti, Anu Prabhakar, Achyuth Kumar, and Ravishankar Gowda amongst others.
One actor worth singling out is Panju. He is well-known on television and plays a key role of a person hailing from North Karnataka. The mannerisms, the style, the dialogue delivery are spot on and very entertaining and he delivers the much needed punch and comic relief in the second half.
Another surprise appearance is of Akkai Padmashali, the famous Bangalore-based transgender activist and social worker. I particularly liked this part of the film because as such it has no impact on the story line but the 3-4 minutes of engaging content leaves a big impact on the viewers mind. It educates us of the challenges faced by the transgender community and points to the main theme of motherhood.
I give full credit to director and writer, Rohit Padaki, for presenting such a sensitive story in an entertaining manner. He has been very realistic in his presentation and doesn’t show the mother son relationship as revered upfront. The film starts with the unapologetically loud mother Saroja and son Rathnakara being at loggerheads due to their personality types. However, as the journey progresses their equation evolves with it. This is only the second film by Rohit, I am sure he has a very bright future ahead.
Although, ‘Rathnan Prapancha’ released directly on OTT (Amazon Prime) due to COVID-19 limitations, it received raving reviews from leading movie stars like Late Puneeth Rajkumar, Kiccha Sudeep, Rakshit Shetty, and Dulquer Salman to name just a few.
Watch this soulful and feel-good movie on Mother’s Day, with your mother if possible. I am sure both of you will have good laugh and at the end hug each other!
Once again, wishing you all a very Happy Mother’s Day!
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Contributing Author: Sanjiv Kulkarni is an ardent Indian cinema buff with an interest in the art of movie-making. He shares his take on movies and some rarer movies too. He lives in Melbourne and works as an IT Sales leader.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts, or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
