There are some films that just give entertainment. There are some films entertaining the audience also touches their hearts. With culture and tradition, the clean heart of village living people, backdrop of independence movement, deep concern of aged persons towards children - all rolled in `Bettada Jeeva' is a fine film with full of feel.
P Seshadri with six national awards (best regional films) to his credit has created another wonder on silver screen. No surprise. `Bettada Jeeva' bagged the best environment film and special mention to the story for Jnanapeeth award winner Dr Shivarama Karanth at the 58th National film awards. With brilliant narration director P Seshadri stitching the film with the environment of Western Ghats in Karnataka brings in the life of the people, the Kola festival and Karpu system to capture the elephants and tiger trouble. Ananth Urs camera captures not just greenery of Malnad areas, but also the tradition of the people living. It is best cinematography so far.
Losing his track pushed in the dense forest revolutionary youth Shivaramu (Suchendra Prasad) look for a stay on night and he finds the house of aged couple Gopala and Shankari (Dattatreya and Rameshwari Verma) in Kelabailu. Shivaramu is moved by their innocence and hospitality. He is surrounded by down to earth people that does not permit him to go back immediately from that place. The old couple is worried - their son Shambu Bhatta left home for Bombay and hasn't returned. The knowledge in Shivaramu makes the aged couple to believe and build a notion that he will be of help to get Shambu back to the house. They seek Shivaramu help to locate him. Whether old couple gets their Shambu and whether Shivaramu has come to their help is climax part of the cinema.
The beauty of this Basanthkumar Productions `Bettada Jeeva' is interweaving the various aspects in to the cinema without making it bore anywhere. This is the best of director P Seshadri from the days of his `Munnudi'. The larger perspective he has focused is a wonder. The film also focuses about the contentment of people living with farming, the inhabitants ignorance on the freedom movement.
This is the best for Suchendra Prasad so far on silver screen. Dattatreya and Rameshwari Verma deserves the best aged couple award for their significant performances. Laskhmi Hegde is apt.
Suchendra Prasad as Shivaramu has given a splendid performance. His voice modulation is his trump card. HG Dattatreya the two times national award winner for supporting roles and Rameshwari Verma are `made for each other couple' even at the old age on silver screen.
It is an outstanding work from cameraman Ananth Urs. He gives us the feel for the audience. When the hot water oil bath is on it makes the audience go for such healthy bath. V Manohar music and Kemparaj editing for the film is adequate.
Scoring - 7.5/10
