The beauty of Tootu Madike not just lies in the unique title but also in its realistic portrayals. The screenplay of this crime comedy is heartwarming for it presents the lives of slum dwellers, their routine hardships, and painful moments. More importantly, it talks about how they never cease to lose hope and dream big.
All of this is brought alive with simple characters, and a good dose of humour, and is captured against a rustic backdrop in Bengaluru.
The plot revolves around a lost antique, which is of utmost importance in Indian mythology. The story begins with Nasgunni (Chandra Keerthi) and his best friend Dollar (Girish Shivanna) who are residents of the area and go around taking up menial and illegal jobs. Their lives take a bizarre turn when they are offered a Rs 10 lakh deal by a politician’s PA Ananthu (Pramod Shetty).
The duo is tasked with finding the antique, which is lost in the slum. They also have to find the politician’s son, Rakesh (Naresh Bhat), who has been absconding. The friends go through a series of events, involving a scam, kidnap, blackmail, and some heart-wrenching moments. Will Nasgunni and Dollar succeed in the task? The suspense and whodunits are built up with hilarious twists and turns.
The first-time director (and actor) Chandra Keerthi displays the vision to marry an offbeat subject with commercial elements. The film, packaged with crime, humour, and melodrama, also references some prevalent issues in society.
Overall, the film benefits from the commitment of the director, the cast, and the crew. Apart from Chandra, Girish, and Pramod Shetty, Paavana Gowda, as a tea vendor, Nandagopal and Ugramm Manju have lived up to their characters.
Child artists Sampath and Jatin add value to the film. Music by Swamynathan adds flavour to the story. Special credits to cinematographer Naveen Challa for capturing the rustic side that exists around the cosmopolitan city. As a crime thriller that underlines the lives of slum people and their big dreams, this film can definitely feature on your watchlist.
Tootu Madike
Cast: Chandra Keerthi, Pavana Gowda, Pramod Shetty, Girish Shivanna, Shankar Ashwath, Ugram Manju
Director: Chandra Keerthi
Rating: 3/5 stars