Film: Shuddhi
Director: Adarsh H Eshwarappa
Cast: Lauren Spantano, Niveditha, Amrutha Karagaday
Rating: 3/5
Debutant Adarsh H Eshwarappa has done what few men dare to do, to slip out of their skin and into a woman’s. The outcome is Shuddhi, replete with every other malice that women face even today. Although the movie is not convincing, given the recent horrors, Adarsh hits the bull’s eye with a collage of situations that have deeply impacted women.
Shuddhi stresses that if you repress people beyond tolerable limits, they fight back with raw courage born out of desperation. In Shuddhi, such women reclaim control with effective countermeasures, although the narrative, at times, is not justified.
As for the plot, Karyln (Lauren Spatano) a photo journalist from USA comes on a spiritual journey to India and ends up entangled in a killing spree to bring justice to Jyothi (Niveditha). The latter along with her friend (Amrutha Karagada) are activists who organise street plays to raise awareness about women’s empowerment. Whether women like Karyln succeed in metting out justice forms the crux of Adarsh’s subject.
The slow pace of the movie and its repetitive scenes, although he has tackled many troubling questions, there is no clear message to take back home.
The film’s strength lies in the casting with artistes such as Lauren Spantano, Niveditha, Amrutha Karagada, Shashank Purushotham, Sidharth Maadhyamika, Ajay Raj, Sanchari Vijay and Veena Sundar giving powerful performances.
Technically too, the film deserves an applause, thanks to cinematographer Andrew Aiello’s natural picturisation and Jesse Clinton’s divine music. Sync sound by Nithin Lukose contributes to the overall picture.
Shuddhi is a good attempt with Adarsh trying a cinematic treatment to real issues plaguing women. It is worth one watch but the revenge drama leaves a lot to desired.