'Panchamrutha' - an experiment gone awry (Kannada Movie Review)

Film: 'Panchamrutha'; Cast: Sreenagara Kitty, Raghu Mukherjee, Devaraj, Pooja Gandhi, Neetu, Neenasam Achyutha, Dileep Raj, Supreetha and Tara; Director: T.N. Nagesh; Producer: Jnaanesh; Music Composer: Ashley-Abhilash; Camera: A.C. Mahendar; Rating: *

'Panchamrutha' is a good experiment of presenting six stories in one film. Though the title suggests it is a mix of five Amrutha's, the director has narrated six small stories on screen by casting different actors.

This sort of experiment is not new to the Kannada film industry. The late Puttanna Kanagal had experimented something similar in 1975 by selecting three different stories written by well-known writers to make a single film called 'Katha Sangama'. It was critically acclaimed but received a mixed response at the box office as it appealed only to city audiences.

Another experiment was done by director V.K. Prakash in 'Aidhondla Aidhu', which got a thumbs-up was from the critics. It was selected for the Indian Panorama section at the International Film Festival of India and the film was also screened at various international film festivals.

Unfortunately, 'Panchamrutha' does not match up to the standards of the two well-made films. The glaring mistakes in the film include below par technical work and ordinary music. By the time fifth and sixth stories are presented on the screen, the audience is bored.

Director T.N. Nagesh has worked in both the television and movie industries. He has directed his film the way he directs a television serial where artistic details are not given importance. Rather than going for best known stories, Nagesh opted for his own stories which don't have impressive content. The film drags from the word go as stories are presented in an ordinary fashion on screen with non-serious actors in the cast.

The six stories deal, among others, with a wife suspicious about her husband; a criminal escapes prison only to come back after finishing his task; honorary settlement of mistrust between young lovers; cold blooded murder of a young software professional by his fiancee; and the affection of two young children towards their father who works hard even on a festival day.

To write the stories, Nagesh has taken cue from some real life incidents which have been discussed in the media.

If the director had written the script in intersting manner, it would have certainly been a good experiment for the industry which lacks good scripts. It is really sad that the whole experiment looks like a wasted effort.

Among the artists, it is Kitty, Devaraj, Tara and Achyutha who have done a better job. The rest of the actors have just been part of the film.

Ashley Abhilash's music composition clearly confirms that they have a long way to go in the film industry. A.C. Mahendar, a veteran film and television serial cameraman, doesn't impress

'Panchamrutha' is good, but it is a failed experiment.