December-1

December-1 (Kannada: ಡಿಸೆಂಬರ್-1) is a 2014 Indian Kannada film written and directed by P. Sheshadri starring Niveditha, Santosh Uppina and H. G. Dattatreya in lead roles.

December-1
Film Poster
Directed byP. Sheshadri
Produced byBasantkumar Patil
Written byP. Sheshadri
StarringNivedhitha
Santosh Uppina
H. G. Dattatreya
Music byV. Manohar
CinematographyAshok V. Raman
Edited byB. S. Kemparaju
Release date
  • 25 April 2014 (2014-04-25)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada

The film won two National Film Awards at the 61st National Film Awards – Best Feature Film in Kannada and Best Screenplay (P. Sheshadri)[1] At the 2013 Karnataka State Film Awards, Niveditha was awarded the Best Actress.[2]

Plot

Basupura is a tiny village where Madevappa works here in a flour mill, and his wife Devakka makes rotis and sells in nearby towns. A school-going son, a daughter still in cradle and Madevappa's aged mother are the others in the family. It is a hand-to-mouth existence; but they have got used to it, with their own small pleasures and distant dreams.

The whole village is getting geared up for the Chief Minister (CM)'s visit on 1 December. CM's officially scheduled overnight stay in Madevappa's house naturally gives Madevappa & family extra attention from all quarters giving them the feeling of a higher status and a brighter future. They look forward to the event with all the zeal and enthusiasm.

CM's visit goes on well with a grand welcome, dinner with Madevappa, Photo Shoots, Press Meets, discussions with local leaders etc. Madevappa & family are overwhelmed by the proceedings, but hardly get to interact with the CM. Instead, they face embarrassing moments feeling as though they are outsiders in their own house.

Wide media coverage highlights CM’s exhortations on the need for humanitarian approach in dealing with people suffering from serious health setbacks. Though well intended it creates difficulties to Madevappa and family driving them to despair.

Cast
  • Nivedhitha as Devakka
  • Santosh Uppina as Madevappa
  • H. G. Dattatreya as Chief Minister
  • Shanthabai Joshi as Devakka's mother-in-law
  • Shashikumar as District Commissioner

Reception

December-1 opened to positive response from critics upon its theatrical release. G. S. Kumar of The Times of India gave the film a rating of four out of five and wrote, "The script has elements of tension, suspense, sarcasm and humour. Kudos to Sheshadri for the excellent narration that keeps the film moving at a fast pace." and praised the roles of acting, cinematography, music and costume designing departments in the film.[3] A. Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express wrote, "Crisp and witty dialogues, great performances, a pithy screenplay, edgy camerawork...nothing has gone wrong with the film, which is about a family of a struggling husband, an enterprising wife, their two children and a grandmother." and concluded writing, "Despite being an artistic film, December 1 has great potential to do well commercially."[4] Shyam Prasad S. of the Bangalore Mirror wrote of the film, "... December 1 is an art film that has the best potential for commercial success among all such films in recent years. The director brings to life a telling presentation of a village family destroyed by a political gimmick." and concluded writing, "There is nothing legally wrong in what the CM and the media did in the film. But if the film sends the wrong message to the intended audience, it makes for a bad postscript for December 1."[5]

Awards
P. Sheshadri receiving the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada from President Pranab Mukherjee
P. Sheshadri receiving the National Film Award for Best Screenplay from President Pranab Mukherjee
61st National Film Awards
Karnataka State Film Awards 2013
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References
  1. "61st National Film Awards For 2013" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  2. "Nikhil Manjoo, Nivedita adjudged best actors". The Hindu. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  3. "December 1 review". The Times of India. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  4. "An Artistic Film with Commercial Potential". The New Indian Express. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  5. "Film Review: December 1". Bangalore Mirror. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
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