Of Malnad, by Malnad, for all humanity - Kannada film 'Jalapatha' review

Set in the beautiful landscape of Malnad and with a plot centred around environmental degradation and human greed, Kannada film Jalapatha is a welcome popular foray into a subject that has largely remained in the academic and activist domain. Not only does plastic pollution get a beating, but more local issues like monoculture, chemical use in farming, harmful dairy farming, conversion of forest land into resorts, etc are also touched upon.

By no means a documentary, this movie is a commercial venture. It has an interesting bunch of characters that seem handpicked from the rural tapestry. There is also a hero and a heroine woven into the story, one a serious environmentalist and the other a typical tik-tok youth whose life is centred around Insta reels and likes.

A chance video uploaded brings the two together, while also raising the concern around senior citizens left behind by a generation gone to the west in pursuit of a better life.

Through the mixed array of characters, the various environmental issues are brought into focus. The script by Begar is also influenced by the thinking of the producer, Ravindra T C, an environmentalist who has contributed to adding significantly to the tree cover in Bengaluru through his conservation work.

Ravindra, in turn has been largely inspired by the action and philosophy of his mentor and reputed forester Yellappa Reddy. (In fact, the role of Rajeev Gowda in the movie has a few shades of Ravindra's life.) The duo has been working to restore biodiversity, improve the soil quality and increase the tree cover in various places.

Given the magnitude and dimensions to the various environmental problems, and the various lobbies and players involved, it is almost impossible to do justice to the entire gamut of issues in two hours of screenplay. However, a movie like Jalapatha has set off the alarm. Such movies, with a more crowd-pulling cast, can help immensely in raising awareness among the masses, especially in rural regions.

A common enough sight in the suburbs of metro city Bengaluru is the casual way in which single use plastic is used and discarded. The fumes of pesticide spray will create a misty dawn or dusk feel around the farm plots growing flowers and vegetables. Here, there is a belief that nothing can be grown without chemicals today. Spreading the word before it is too late is very important.

The movie also points to the need for people coming together and taking action against atrocities by private groups or government. That is one of the peculiar dilemmas of the world we live in today. Problems are many, but no one has the time (from scrolling?) nor perhaps a sense of priority.

A kind of lethargic haze has descended on most of us, even when aware of what chemicals in our food can do to us, or the chopping of a good old tree(s) in our neighbourhood means. A sense of inevitable doom assails some, and a belief in technological fixes assures others.

A special word of mention is needed on the delightful portrayal of Poorvi by Nagashree Begar, daughter of the director Ramesh Begar. She is a natural and will definitely be seen more in future. The panchayat president is one another hilarious character played by Swathi Shashibhushan who delivers a perfect performance as the high-strung, high-pitched officer.

The protoganist Vihan played by Rajaneesh, Vasannayya by Ravikumar, Vanamalamma by Rekha Premkumar, and Abhishek Hebbar who plays Rajeev, besides Pramod Shetty and Vishwanath Shetty are all true to their characters. Most, except a couple of them, are local artistes from Malnad. All credit to the casting and direction.

Music by young Sadhvini Koppa is pleasing to the ears. Surely, the cascade of the Jalapatha will spawn even more thunderous waterfalls.