Bharath BV in ‘Kenda’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Directed by Sahdev Kelwadi Kenda, hero Keshav (B.V. Bharath) is playing cricket on the street with his neighbour, a school-going boy. He instructs the boy facing his balls to focus on the ball and not look at his hand. In this scene, the aimless protagonist of the film and the child with dreams finds purpose in the game of cricket; this scene best describes the tone of the narrative. Kenda is deliberately minimalist and relentlessly realistic, with the film’s visuals This will be exactly as you would see these happen in the real world.

From the makers of Gantumute, PlotThe film is set in a much simpler time. At that time, playing cricket matches on the streets fuelled dreams of representing the country.

The film doesn’t reveal its timeline, but gives you enough clues to guess the period in which its story unfolds. A cricket match on TV shows Debashish Mohanty, the Indian fast bowler who gained attention for his bare-chested action in the late 90s. A goon in a seedy bar swoops over a poster of Urmila Matondkar, which is set during her heyday. Rangeela; This makes it clear that the film is set sometime between the late 90s and early 2000s.

Keshav, who works in a factory, leads a simple life until he is caught in a web of politics and crime by Narasimha Shastri (Vinod Ravindran), a politically ambitious man who runs a small newspaper. Narasimha Shastri believes in “creating news” and hires youngsters to stage protests Close. His speeches contain false promises and he repeats lines from the Bhagavad Gita, especially on death.

Also read:Sahadev Kelvadi is going to be a director with ‘Kenda’

The film attempts to be a political satire, but Kenda’s victory lies in this A deep look at how youngsters are led on the wrong path from which there is no way back. From the starting point of hooliganism (being lured into the area) to showing different aspects of the world, the story convincingly proves how this nexus of crime and politics is carefully set up by those in power using youngsters who need financial aid.

A scene from ‘Kenda’ | Photo Credit: DBeatsMusicWorld/YouTube

For instance, it all starts with a simple question asked of Keshav: how much does he earn from his job at the factory? Money becomes a deciding factor for many young people who, perhaps denied opportunities, choose jobs that put them on the rogues’ list.

The film also depicts the rise of electronic media. It feels like we are looking at a different era, as we see television journalists covering important issues (one of which is the farmers’ protest), while today they run after TRP-worthy news. However, the film also shows the beginning of the decline of TV reporting, when a news reader proudly claims “First on our channel” while showing exclusive footage.

However, the absurd element of the film makes it even more absurd Kenda In the end it makes less sense. It seems the director wants to take the drama further up, but something prevents him from going for the final punch; his indulgence in the philosophical parts involving a sex worker is evident, Kenda With so many things in the mix it gets a bit lost.

Despite the complications, Kenda It is more or less a solid film that does not resemble your typical heroic bloodshed film, as it does not succumb to broad strokes. Simply put, it is about an innocent being drawn into a nuisance and its protagonist Kenda Looks and behaves like one of us. This practicality in writing is rare in Kannada cinema.

Kenda will hit theaters on July 26.