Dweepa

Dweepa
Poster
Directed by Girish Kasaravalli
Produced by Soundarya
Screenplay by Girish Kasaravalli
Story by Na D'Souza
Based on Dweepa
by Na D'Souza
Starring Soundarya
Avinash
M. V. Vasudeva Rao
Harish Raju
Music by Isaac Thomas Kottukapally
Cinematography H. M. Ramachandra Halkere
Edited by M. N. Swamy
Release date
  • 27 December 2002 (2002-12-27)
Running time
 134 minutes
Country India
Language Kannada

Dweepa (Kannada: ದ್ವೀಪ, The Island) is a 2002 Indian Kannada language film by Girish Kasaravalli, based on the novel of the same name by Na D'Souza, and starring Soundarya and Avinash in lead roles. Dweepa deals with the raging issue of building dams and the displacement of natives.

Plot

Located in the backwaters of a dam, Sita Parvata is an island slowly submerging due to the rains. The government succeeds in evacuating the residents by giving them compensation for the properties they own. The village temple priest Duggajja, his son Ganapa, and his daughter-in-law Nagi find it impossible to leave their homeland and make a living with the meagre compensation given by the government. They have but a small hut, which earns them a compensation of ₹25,000. In Ganapa's own words, the compensation can give them food and shelter, but cannot compensate for the love and respect of their people. On the island, they are important people, but outside, they would be one among hundreds of families struggling to make a living. Centered on this complex theme, the film narrates the struggles of the family and how ultimately in the end they manage to continue life on the island.

The 'inner' theme

As in all of Girish Kasaravalli's films, Dweepa deals with an 'inner' theme: that of human minds that isolate themselves due to former beliefs and convictions. Each character emerges as a representation of different viewpoints. The protagonist Nagi (Soundarya) is portrayed as an optimistic character whose support is hope and only that. The character finally emerges as a symbol of positive thinking and optimism. Ganapa (Avinash), on the contrary, is resigned to his fate and finally, when they narrowly escape submersion, he fails to see that his wife has achieved the impossible. Duggajja (M.V.VasudevaRao) withdraws from the catastrophe rather than face it. He is devastated to see his convictions and beliefs crumble before his eyes and, in the end, he clings to his beliefs in desperation. Krishna (Harish Raju) portrays a typical dreamer, who can mesmerize the village folk with fairy tales about the world beyond the isolated island. In short, he encapsulates the fantasy world we tend to dream about.

Cast

  • Soundarya as Nagi
  • Avinash as Ganapa
  • M. V. Vasudeva Rao as Duggajja
  • Harish Raju as Krishna
  • Purushottama Talavata
  • Siddaraj Kalyankar
  • Malati
  • Vijayasarathy
  • Radha Ramachandra
  • Sringeri Ramanna
  • Sawant

Awards and screenings

National Film Awards, India, 2002

Karnataka State Film Awards 2001-02

Filmfare Awards for Kannada

  • Best Film
  • Best Direction
  • Best Actress in a Lead Role - Soundarya

Screenings

  • Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, New York
  • International Film Festival Of India
  • Fukuoka Film Festival, Japan
  • Durban International Film Festival
  • International Film Festival of Rotterdam.
  • Cinema Vintage Programme, IsolaCinema, KinoOtok

Soundtrack

Unlike earlier Kasaravalli films, Dweepa had music by Thomas Isaac Kottukapally used throughout.

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