58. Kaatera; movie review

 

KAATERA

Cert 15

177 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong violence

It beggars belief that after breaking free of the yoke of the British, Indian people should not be able to unite in a common goal of creating a better country.

Instead, the caste system left people divided and caused even more humiliation and death.

Tharun Sudhir's Kaatera tackles the caste gulf head-on, based on the real-life uprising by farmers in Karnataka during 1970.

It stars Darshan as the title character, a blacksmith with a fierce sense of justice for all.

The movie begins with a present-day forensic science team unearthing 107 bodies from a communal grave.

It then spins to the release on parole of Kaatera (Darshan), who has such a dangerous reputation that he must be accompanied by a police officer.

In flashback, the tumultuous tale is told of how he became the leader of a farming community in their battles with a ruthless land owner (Jagapathi Babu).

It is broadened out into the fight for the rights of workers against landlords who see them as nothing more than slaves.

If that makes Sudhir's film seem overly worthy, it certainly is not.

Kaatera is akin to Superman in standing up for his village, whose people seem impotent by comparison.

He is highly skilled with a machete because he makes them, spares no enemy and is often faced with dozens of them.

However, he also has a gentle side, as seen in his clandestine romance with a landowner's daughter (Aradhana Ram).

At nearly three hours, Kaatera is unnecessarily long but there is enough excitement to keep audiences going until a blistering last 40 minutes.

And you have to hand it to Darshan - he is a very charismatic lead.

Reasons to watch: Gritty caste discrimination thriller

Reasons to avoid: The daft romance

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Indira Gandhi convened the Chief Ministers Conference on Land Reforms in 1969 to evolve a national consensus and to urge states to enact land reform laws.

The final word. Tharun Kishore Sudhir: "The victory of Kaatera goes beyond words. The tremendous reception from people is overwhelming. They’ve embraced the film completely. " New Indian Express

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