Movie: 1944
Director: S Badrinath
Cast: Naveen Krishna, Sruthi Hariharan, Suchendra Prasad, Bhavya, Shivani
Set in the year 1944, as the title suggests, the film is based on Rotti Runa by NS Rao. Unlike scores of movies which usually talk about the freedom struggle, the fight against the East India Company and the British Raj, this one also sheds light on the human values alongside the movement to free India. It is a huge challenge to adapt a popular play into a feature film. This is also where the movie lags behind — poor shots in terms of cinematography and other visual aspects which make it a struggle to sit through 1944 for over one-and-a-half-hours!
The movie is about two main characters — a youth called Dugya and Girija, the wife of a British police officer. While the youth, who is a part of the freedom movement ends up in a British police officer’s house, Dugya finds shelter in the house thanks to Girija, who despite being the wife of a policeman, shows her patriotism, and the director explores the connection of human values through these characters while staying on with the core subject revolving around the struggle. Apart from the lead actors, who essay their characters well, every other aspect is a struggle to watch in 1944!
The movies also dates back beyond 1944, which throws light on Dugya’s days which inspired him to become a part of the movement — this could have been trimmed to avoid the painfully slow pace which almost makes the audience beg for their own “cinematic” freedom struggle for a quick climax.
While the north Karnataka dialect and the lifestyle is the essence of 1944, the audience, apart from those from the north, might find it a bit difficult to follow. Naveen, Sruthi and Suchendra Prasad are a treat to watch, especially Naveen and Sruthi who evoke patriotism. Nothing extraordinary, the film is true to patriotic ideologies, which makes it worth a watch.
