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Kanneshwara Rama (Kannada: ಕನ್ನೇಶ್ವರ ರಾಮ; English: The Legendary Outlaw) is a 1977 Kannada-language political film directed by M. S. Sathyu. The film features an ensemble cast including Anant Nag, Shabana Azmi, Amol Palekar, B. V. Karanath and Shimoga Venkatesh. The film is based on the novel Kannayya Rama written by S. K. Nadig. The film is set in the 1920s during which a rebellious youth, Kanneshwara Rama, who opposes the unjust orders given by the village head and becomes outlawed from the village.[1]

Kanneshwara Rama
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	M. S. Sathyu
Written by	S. K. Nadig
Based on	Kannayya Rama by S. K. Nadig
Produced by	Moola Brothers
Starring	Anant Nag Shabana Azmi Amol Palekar
Cinematography	Ishan Arya Ashok Gunjal
Edited by	S. Chakravarthy
Music by	B. V. Karanth
Production company	Sharadha Movie Productions
Release date	1977 (1977)
Running time	118 minutes
Country	India
Language	Kannada

The film was produced by the Moola Brothers under the production company Sharadha Movie Productions. The film is based on the novel Kannayya Rama written by S. K. Nadig. The screenplay of the film was also written by S. K. Nadig. The cinematography of the film was done by Ishan Arya and Ashok Gunjal, while the editing was handled by S. Chakravarthy. The music for the film was composed by B. V. Karanth, while the lyrics were written by N. Kulkarni. This film features the debut of Shabana Azmi in Kannada cinema.[2] The film is Sathyu's second feature film after the 1973 film Garm Hava.[3]

Kanneshwara Rama premiered at the International Film Festival of India.[4] The film was theatrically released on 30 March 1989 and was a critical and box office success, completing a 100-day run in theatres.[5] It was screened in many national and international film festivals, including the Bengaluru International Film Festival in 2017.[6] The film has drawn comparisons to Garm Hava.[3][1]

Plot

Present day

The film starts with Kanneshwara Rama, a long-sought-after fugitive who has been caught by the police. He is being paraded through the streets of Shimoga before being taken to the state capital for his execution. On the way, Rama sees many people in the crowd who have figured in his life at one point or another and starts thinking about those events.

Flashback

Back in his old days, Rama is a hot-headed peasant who fumes at the slightest attempt of intimidation. He despised meekness and that is one of the reasons for his contempt towards his docile wife. Rama defied the village head, resulting in a midnight scuffle in which he ends up killing the person. He is caught and sent to jail.

In prison, Rama meets Mahatma Gandhi’s followers who are political prisoners. Under cover of a nationalistic disturbance, he escapes from the place and joins a group of bandits. The leader of the group is Junja, who zealously guards his gang’s hoard of gold, watched over by Malli, his mistress. Junja gets fond of Rama, something that is resented by some members of the gang, except Chennira who becomes his ally.

Junja is mortally wounded in an encounter with the police and names Rama as his successor. Malli quietly decamps with the hoarded treasure in the dark of night. Rama becomes notorious as an outrageously bold dacoit. He helps the poor, providing a dowry for girls of marriageable age and breaking the hold of feudal landlords in the area. He becomes a hero in the eyes of the people, attaining a status akin to Robinhood.

He raids a landlord’s safe and accidentally finds refuge in Malli’s house. She is now a high-priced prostitute and they become lovers. However, Rama finds an opportunity to steal her jewels and does not hesitate.

Rama’s daring exploits, his growing popularity, and his successes begin to worry the government. The tension with the police reaches its peak when he rescues a group of nationalists from the police, takes the policemen captive, and humiliates the British Captain. He is both amused and impressed by Gandhi’s policy of non-violence, but what catches his attention is their building of a cause and the symbolic flag, an idea that started to germinate in his mind.

Some members of Rama’s gang are disloyal to him. He out-maneuvers them in their break-away attempt to rob an armed treasury and forgives the culprits, against Chennira’s advice. However, Rama begins to wonder whether any group can be loyal to an individual for long. He feels that the guiding principle should be an idea, symbolized by a flag and a base, both of which are necessary. He frees a village under the bondage to a religious order, adopts it, and places his flag on an old fort that guards it. Rama becomes a legend, carving out an independent principality of his own. Rama becomes a legend in his own lifetime. Ballad singers compose songs praising his courage and the police are afraid of him.

The British Government is alarmed. The District Collector sends a large force to capture Rama at any cost. The Police Superintendent first tries to cajole Malli into giving him away but she refuses to do their bidding. He then threatens the people in the village and takes some hostages. The police offensive against Rama is intensified. At an encounter, most of his gang is killed, including the trusted Chennira. Rama runs to his villagers for refuge but they are too scared to help him. Enraged, he sets the village on fire. Even Malli is not able to deter him. The Police Superintendent tries to make Malli help him again. At first, she refuses but when the relatives of the hostages plead with her, she agrees.

Present day

Rama is now alone and helpless. He abandons his weapons at the altar of a temple and visits Malli at night. A trap is set around her house and as soon as Malli sends a signal, the police surround the area. Malli defends her actions by saying that his vindictiveness drove her to it. He says he had only come to give her his treasures so that they could be given to the villagers as compensation. Malli now regrets her betrayal but it is too late.

Cast

Soundtrack

The music was composed by B. V. Karanth.

Analysis

M.S. Sathyu and Shama Zaidi's screenplay has borrowed from traditional theatrical forms. The presentation of the story has been divided into a number of "acts", each of which recounts a significant episode in Rama's life and illuminates a facet of his character.

Early in the film, Sathyu develops a sympathy for the underdog and gathers a vast storehouse of unusual real-life situations and characters. His statements are political, the story of the legendary outlaw is the commentary on the crumbling system of British enabled feudalism and the rise of another social order, in part led by the non-violent and apparently impractical Gandhians. The folk-form the film deploys is a theatrical device – the entire story is narrated through a folk ballad and the events picturized later. The entire film unfolds in retrospect, we begin with the tragedy and then see who it unfolded. The ignorance, idealism, and the powerlessness of a rebellion against a well-entrenched system come on the reel as the film progresses. The interest is not what the action is, since the audience knows it already, but how it takes place.

Reception

Positive

N. Narayan of India Today, writes: "Sathyu, in his inimitable style, has enhanced the liveliness of the narration with the dynamic use of the camera - making a panoramic sweep, bearing down on a single trembling hand, caressing the sensual face of Rama's mistress, following Rama as he dodges the police, a bird's-eye view of the battlefield. Sathyu's framing is precise without being obvious, the situation and characters speaking for themselves." He praises the performance of the lead cast, writing: "Among the outstanding performers are Anant Nag as the mercurial Kanneshwara Rama and Shabana Azmi as the seductive Malli, the outlaw's mistress. Excellent cameo roles are rendered by Amol Palekar as the cynical dacoit Chenira, Tom Alter as the haughty British superintendent of police. Venkatesh as the sycophantic police sergeant Narayanappa and B.V. Karanth as the eccentric old dacoit chieftain Junja."

Film critic Siddharth Kak in his 1978 book, A Legend In His Lifetime, writes: "Sathyu manages to weave a tapestry of emotions in conflict with history. He adds his unique sense of humor to the narrative. Be it the bewilderment of the Gandhian workers in face of the gruff joviality of Rama’s men or the utensil-loving thief in his gang, the humor is rich with meaning without any forced attempts at comedy. The performances are strong. Anant Nag shines in the role of the mercurial Rama while Shabana Azmi holds on her own as Malli. Amol Palekar plays an excellent cameo role as Chennira, a character very different from the middle-class good guy role he played in Hindi cinema. Tom Alter, B.V. Karanth, and Venkatesh are good in their respective parts."

Negative

N. Narayan of India Today, writes: "Yet, on the whole, Kanneshwara Rama fails to emotionally grip the viewer perhaps because of the structure Sathyu has chosen to employ for his screenplay. It may be ideal for bringing out the multifaceted personality of the protagonist but does not provide the kind of narrative continuity that is needed to capture the viewer's empathy." He further writes: "Sathyu has also failed to achieve, for a film of this genre, the necessary intensity of drama required in scenes of conflict. Perhaps in his anxiety to achieve credibility and authenticity, he has toned down the liveliness of action. The gun battle between the dacoit gang and the police for example appears so desultory that it almost becomes a ritualistic mock fight." He concludes, writing: "if, ultimately, the overall excellence of a film is to be judged by the depth of impact it makes on the viewer's mind, then Kanneshwara Rama, for all its deftness of execution, does not measure up to Garm Hava."

Film critic Siddharth Kak in his 1978 book, A Legend In His Lifetime, writes: "It is inevitable to compare Kanneshawara Rama with Sathyu’s Garm Hava. While the film may not achieve the greatness of the cinematic gem that Garm Hava was, it manages to hold on its own, to a good extent. The fact that it does not even want to become another Garm Hava and is content in being what it is makes it a good film. A worthy watch!"

References

External links

• Kanneshwara Rama at IMDb

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