If nothing, with Paataragithi, which means butterfly, director K Eshwar sure has earned a new sobriquet — butt of flaws. His film has flaws and unfortunately, that is not its only problem as nearly every frame falls flat, while trying to craft a story around love and a sexually starved society. Women’s emancipation and sexual violence, topics which have been sensitively handled and evoked strong reactions from the audience in some films, have been given a reductive approach and trivialised. One thing we are sure is that Eshwar will have ‘butterflies in his stomach’ while looking back at this film in a few years from now.
His plot opens with the introduction of the hero Akash (Srikki), an educated man with an MA in literature who runs a flower boutique. Though he sounds like an intellectual, when it comes to love, he seems to be quite lost. Bhoomi (Prajju Poovaiah) is somebody he has fallen in love with at first sight and is unable to express his feelings even as he watches her everyday. Bhoomi sells SIM cards on the street opposite his shop.
The story unravels at a slow pace as the hero indulges in soliloquies about his lady love. Although Bhoomi pretends to be in love with Akash, the romance is short lived as Bhoomi’s intentions are revealed.
The plot careens off in different direction as Bhoomi is raped one fateful night and thereafter, her brothers come in search of Akash believing him to be the culprit.
However, Akash enlists the help of Bhoomi’s friend and manages to prove his innocence in an ‘intelligent’ manner. But what happens to their love story brings an end to the film.
The story is bizarre and despite dealing with some serious issues, has absolutely no capability to stir up a discussion or evoke any reaction whatsoever. Eshwar, who has also written the screenplay and dialogues, fails in both areas with an insipid screenplay and a lackluster narration.Srikki, who rose to fame with Olave Mandare doesn’t make any effort to do better. Praju Poovaiah has to learn that there is more to acting than just dancing and keeping her eyes wide open. One wonders why Eshwar wasted actors like Tabla Nani, Kuri Prathap and Mitra. The presence of senior actors like Brahmavar, and Shanthamma is not justified. The film also has too many songs and the music by Venkataswamy and Sameer Kulkarni are flatly delivered.
This is one colourless butterfly that doesn’t seem to fly. It is better to be patient and wait for a real one to flutter by than watch this film .