Thursday, 24 March 2022

Carvalho

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Book: Carvalho

Author: K.P. Poornachandra Tejaswi

Genre: Adventure/Humour

Language: Kannada

I couldn't stop gushing about this gem whoever care to listen. It has bee a long time since I picked a book of my mother tongue only to realize what I had been missing

Set in the quaint village of Moodigere Taluk of Chikmagaluru, Karnataka, Tejaswi meets Mandanna for the first time in local beekeeper's society to buy honey for his father. He was surprised to hear praise about Mandanna from Carvalho, a renowned botanist, entomologist and scientist. According to Tejaswi Mandanna is impulsive and irresponsible vagrant whose only goal in life is to marry Rami (Narway Ramanna's daughter). Once married he is arrested by police for making illegal liquor. To get him bail all the big shots of the village had to go to court. Why Mandanna is important? Why Carvalho thinks him to be born naturalist?

The narration and story had me in splits. In no time it reached my top reads. Tejaswi is an enigma. If you know to read Kannada make time for itt. There is translated version available too. 

Friday, 18 March 2022

The News of The World

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Movie: The News Of The World

Director: Paul Greengrass

Language: English

Year: 2021

Cast: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel

Jefferson Kyle Kid (Hanks), a war veteran from Texas in year 1870 shortly after civil war. His current job is of a news reader for which he travels from one town to the next. On one of those journeys he meets a little girl who was being taken to authorities after the clan who raised was killed. She speaks Kiowa and Jeff takes the responsibility to unite her with her long lost blood relatives.

Next starts the unusual road trip with many highs and lows. There is no need to tell how good Hanks in this. It is Helena Zengel's raw performance sets the chemistry between the two right and Heartwarming.

And the movie is based on a book by Pauletta Jiles of the same.

Tuesday, 15 March 2022

Mahira

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Film: Mahira

Director: Mahesh Gowda

Cast: Raj Shetty, Veronica Rodriguez, Balaji Manohar

Genre: Thriller

Language: Kannada

Streaming On: Amazon Prime

While browsing Amazon prime we came across Mahira. Seeing Raj B. Shetty on the poster we thought of watching it. From Ondu Motteya Kathe we have seen all his films, though he is a supporting in this thriller.

An alleged rogue agent lives a melancholic life on the coastal Karnataka with her teenage daughter. An incident exposes them to be chased by both law enforcement as well as criminals. Now on the run mother should prove her innocence to protect them both. Why is she hiding despite being an excellent undercover?

A Hollywood style thriller. Few scenes reminded us of "Pieces of Her" novel by Karin Slaughter. There are few loose ends. The relationship between mother-daughter sounded superficial. Just addressing your mother by her first name does not make you cool or your bonding better.

If loose ends were knotted tightly Mahira had the potential to become a exemplary thriller. Nonetheless a one-time watch. Including the lead most of the cast were new faces.