Dweepa

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Dweepa aka The Island

Directed by	Girish Kasaravalli
Written by	Norbet D'Souza
Starring	Soundarya, Avinash, M.V.Vasudeva Rao,Harish Raju
Music by	Thomas Isaac Kottukapally
Country	India
Language	Kannada
IMDb profile

Dweepa is a 2002 film by Girish Kasaravalli.

1 Plot Summary
2 The 'inner' theme
3 Awards and Screenings
4 Highlights
5 Trivia
6 External links

[edit] Plot Summary

Based on the novel with the same title by Norbert D'Souza, Dweepa deals with the raging issue of building dams and the displacement of natives. Located in the backwaters of a dam, Sita Parvata is an island slowly submerging due to the rains. The government succeeds in evacuating the inmates of the island by giving them compensation for the properties they own. The village temple priest Duggajja, his son Ganapa and his daughter in law Nagi find it impossible to leave their homeland and make a living with the meagre compensation given by the government. They have but a small hut, which earns them a compensation of Rs.25,000. In Ganapa's own words, the compensation can give them food and shelter, but cannot compensate for the love and respect of their people. On the island, they are important people, but outside, they would be one among hundreds of families struggling to make a living. Centered around this complex theme, the film narrates the struggles of the family and how ultimately in the end they manage to continue life on the island.

[edit] The 'inner' theme

As in all of Girish Kasaravalli's films, Dweepa too deals with an 'inner' theme, that of human minds that isolate themselves due to former beliefs and convictions. Each character emerges as a representation of different viewpoints. The protagonist Nagi(Soundarya) has been portrayed as an optimistic character whose support is hope and only that. One can notice how the character finally emerges as a symbol of positive thinking and optimism. Ganapa(Avinash), on the contrary resigns to fate, and finally when they narrowly escape submersion, he fails to see that his wife had achieved the impossible. Duggajja(M.V.VasudevaRao) withdraws from the catastrophe rather than face it. He is devastated to see his convictions and beliefs crumble before his very eyes and in the end, he clings to his beliefs in desperation. Krishna(Harish Raju) portrays a typical dreamer, who can mesmerize these village folk with fairy tales about the world beyond the isolated island. In short he encapsulates the 'fantasy' world we all tend to dream about.

[edit] Awards and Screenings

National Film Awards, India, 2002

Golden Lotus, Best Film.
Best Cinematography for Mr.Ramachandra.

Karnataka State Film Awards, 2002

Best Film.
Best Direction for Girish Kasaravalli.
Best Actress in a lead role for Soundarya.
Best Cinematography for Mr.Ramachandra.

Filmfare Awards for Kannada

Best Film.
Best Direction.
Best Actress in a lead role for Soundarya.

Screenings

Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, New York
International Film Festival Of India
Fukuoka Film Festival, Japan
Durban International Film Festival
International Film Festival of Rotterdam.
Cinema Vintage Programme, IsolaCinema, KinoOtok

[edit] Highlights

Dweepa was a visually stunning film. More than half of the film was shot amidst torrential rains around Agumbe.
The film was appreciated for the superior performances by the artistes.Soundarya as Nagi proved her talent as a world class actress capable of moulding herself to suit any role. Avinash as Ganapa proved his prowess as a versatile actor by rendering a very memorable performance.
Music by Thomas Isaac Kottukapally was yet another highlight of the movie. Unlike earlier Kasaravalli films, Dweepa had music almost throughout the length of the film.

[edit] Trivia

In the original novel by Norbert D'Souza, Ganapa too meets with an untimely end and Nagi is left alone on the island to fight for her survival. But in the film, Ganapa lives but renders no support to Nagi during the crisis.
M.V.Vasudeva Rao who played the role of Duggajja did not live long enough to see the release of the movie.
Rain played a critical role in the film. Girish Kasaravalli, when commenting about the film said that along with the four main characters, rain was the fifth character in the film.