Dushtaa
Dushtaa is a 2011 Kannada language action-thriller directed by S Narayan starring his son, Pankaj Narayan and Surabhi Santosh in lead roles.[1]
The supporting cast of the film comprises 21 newcomers who were cast after holding auditions throughout Karnataka. The film was shot around Shimoga and Bhadravati districts of Karnataka. It was an attempt at realistic cinema and was based on a real life story which the director witnessed in his formative years in Bhadravati.[2][3]
The film released on 3 June 2011.[4]
Plot
As a child Isha (Pankaj) is told by his mother that Pathi (Surabhi), his maternal uncle’s daughter, is his wife. This aspect innocently fed to Isha becomes very serious as he grows. He does not tolerate any pain bestowed on Pathi. The love that blossoms at the budding age grows stronger and stronger.
The maternal uncle of Isha takes it seriously and he wants to wipe out Isha from the scene. Isha is framed unnecessarily for a crime he did not commit and is sentenced to one year imprisonment, he then arranges for Pathi to be married in his absence. Pathi protests strongly but she is hapless without Isha and is forced by her family to get married. On her wedding night, Pathi forces her drunk husband to get out of the bedroom and pushes him in anger, in a drunken state he hits his head on a nail on the wall and dies. Now Pathi is imprisoned for murder and Isha comes out serving one year.
On learning the events, an uncontrollable Isha goes back to prison and searches for Pathi. The jailor assistant makes way for the young lovers to escape from the prison in the garbage vehicle. When the hunt begins, it becomes tough for the pure lovers to survive. Eventually they have to give up their life.
Soundtrack[5]
1) Eesa Oh Eesa - Rakesh, Kusala
2) Premaa Premaa - AR Anantha Krishna
3) Sneha - Anoop, Vijay, Banni Mohan, Harsha
4) Haalu Hrudayakke - Sadashiva Shenoy
5) Nan Hendru - Harsha Remuna
6) Jhinke Oh Jhinke - Nakul, Akshara Hari
Reception
Indiaglitz in its review wrote "Bold attempts with realities surrounding plus innocence clubbing is not quite often seen on Kannada screen. Director of high caliber and well informed personality S Narayan makes an out and out different kind of cinema that is a bumper for the masses. In the days of modernity director S Narayan gets in to the villages for this film and made it look very real." also adding that "S Narayan as a music director also gets equal marks what he scores for the story, screenplay, and direction. The songs on Prema..friendship.Jinke Mari.are wonderful from the pen of S Narayan. The lyrics are not lost in the music. They are clearly understandable. Some of the lines of S Narayan are haunting ones." while praising the music of the film[6]
Bharathstudent.com predicted that the film would "find select audience and above average returns" at the box office while reviewing that Dushtaa was a "rustic tale of love, misfortune and stroke of destiny." and "Though the idea is realistic, it doesn't leave the audience with a pleasant feel as the protagonist keeps suffering right from the start. While the first half goes about with the layering of the plot, the second half gets into various twists and turns"[7]