‘The Rakshit Shetty standard’ is real, I tell you. The recent film by Rakshit Shetty, Saptha Sagaradaache Ello (Side A) doesn’t meet the benchmark that Rakshit himself set in the industry. When he became a familiar name in Sandalwood with the success of Ulidavaru Kandante, Rakshit Shetty almost created a cult that represented the audience to Kannada cinema that was never really seen or noticed before. That there is a dedicated fan base to experimental, unconventional cinema in the Kannada industry too was a fact that surfaced with the rise of the Shetty team and the success of their films. Until then, the Puttanna Kanagal and Shankar Nag like fan base didn’t really have a voice or representation in mainstream Sandalwood until quite recently. Taste for cinema has shifted considerably in Sandalwood now and I feel like Rakshit Shetty had a prominent role to play alongside some of his like-minded contemporaries like Pavan Kumar and Manso Re. The rise of OTT and the audience’s exposure to world cinema has been the biggest influencing factor but modern day film makers in the industry have adapted and brought in novelty that has fostered growth.
He’s made some good films, but what sets Rakshit Shetty apart is the range – both as a film maker and as an actor – that he isn’t afraid of exploring. With every film, he tries out something new – some things work well and some don’t. Saptha Sagaradaache Ello seems to be an experiment too. This one is directed by Hemanth N Rao and stars Rakshit Shetty and Rukmini Vasanth in lead roles. The Side A that has been released and running (at the time of writing) is a love story filmed mostly in a jail setup. The story isn’t as enticing as the making but a devoted viewer easily stays glued to the screen despite the slow pace of the movie. Even though the storyline of the movie is easily predictable, there are a number of things that keep us wondering how they’ll unveil. Importantly, Side A feels more like a setup or a trailer for Side B – whose actual trailer we see at the end of this film, and which promises a more intense and fast paced storyline.
Saptha Sagaradaache Ello is a simple story of a couple – Manu and Priya, both of whom come from extremely modest backgrounds but are intensely, madly in love with each other. Or so we are expected to believe – because the screenplay does not do well enough to convey the depth of love they hold for each other. Sure, Manu seems crazy about the beautiful girl with dreamy eyes who chose to love him and that is evident throughout the movie. But we don’t get to see the kind of motivation it takes for a man to make decisions like he made and endure through circumstances thrown at him by his rather resolute writers. Towards the end we can’t help but ask ourselves – she had beautiful eyes and they shared a dream of owning a beachside home together – but was that a powerful enough source for everything that transpired in Manu’s life further on?
And that’s about all the downside I could see to the film. In many other ways, Saptha Sagaradaache Ello delivers as an experimental adventure. Its a slow burn throughout, filmed carefully to ensure that we all feel exactly what the characters on-screen are feeling. Close up shots of Priya and her soulful eyes sure do their magic and give us an illusion of realizing Manu’s madness for her. As we are expected to, we continually feel the dread and disheartenment when things spiral downwards in their love story. I think we can say that the film maker has succeeded in his techniques when we stay with the film despite predicting the storyline. That’s what happens with Saptha Sagaradaache Ello. The dread lingers on and gets more and more intense with every passing scene. Every once in a while, the dread turns to hope as Manu almost has a guardian inside the prison and almost escapes it. The subtle breaks in the overall dreadful tone of the movie are helpful in creating the momentum needed to hook a viewer.
All said and done, this one can’t be called Rakshit Shetty’s best work. It is perhaps the monotony or the old school nature of the love story (he could have intended it). But it is true that Saptha Sagaradaache Ello raises the standards of narrating a love story nonetheless. We look forward to Side B with much hope.
Spoiler aler…t!? 🤔