'Thutturi' film review - a film by P. Sheshadri for producer Jayamala

P. Sheshadri is back with a bang again after three consecutive National Awards and his genuine efforts to address serious social concerns continue with Thutturi! And this time, he uses children as the medium to showcase these serious issues.

Still from Thutturi

Put a few children together to be themselves. Lo! They create a wonderful world of their own deriving immense pleasure in playing - and `learning' through it sub-consciously. It is the natural way of `growing'. Playing in open space is quite different from playing within the four walls like in modern families. Open space provides greater scope for interaction, experimentation and learning besides multiplying the thrill of playing. There lies the imperative need for playgrounds. But thanks to the indiscriminate growth of concrete jungles of ever-growing cities, where there is hardly any open space, let alone proper playgrounds - particularly in the localities where poor and middle class children reside.

Thanks to blazing publicity, cricket and computer games seem to be the only games most city children are exposed to. Arrival of a village boy Shivalingu (Kartik) opens them up to the joys of rustic village games. Broken glasses, obstruction to traffic etc leads parents to `advise' children not to play in the streets. They go out in search of a place to play and find a vacant land full of stones & thorns. They plead with the owner of that land - a well-meaning lonely old man (Dattanna) left to himself with a lot of riches and also a lot of health complaints. With his permission, children cleanup the whole place and 'Tata' helps them creating a beautiful playground with novel ideas drawn from David Werner's famous book on creative use of readily available things around. Mingling closely with children helps him regain his zest for life. His health starts improving.

Still from Thutturi

Old man's only son Hari (Dharma), settled in America, is not happy with his father's association with `street children' as he calls them. He arrives on the scene with his little son Abhi (Kishan). Abhi derives great joy playing with other kids, despite of Hari's objections. Businessman Hari decides to demolish the playground to build a commercial complex despite of children's pleadings & parents request. Unable to see their fruits of labor (playground) going out of their hands, children outburst and results in interesting climax!

Director Sheshadri unfolds many concerns and issues pertaining to today's children - from play grounds to stress of today's children to extinguished village games to parent's prestige hampering kids' childhood... He raises a problem through children and gives a solution through them! Though it carries very serious message, he balances it so beautifully, every kid will enjoy it for sure! And hence, he made Thutturi a film for everyone - from eight to eighty! Of course there are some shortcomings. Glaring one is the length. The movie also caries some sort of noise at times. Children screaming in chorus looks quite odd as well!

Still from Thutturi

Karthik Sharma is superb as Shivalinga. Aniruddh, Kishan have also done a great job. Veteran actor Dattatreya (Dattanna) could have underplayed that character a bit. He looked over acting at times. Dharma has a good role in the film and he did his bit well.

Apart from children, it is cameraman H.M. Ramachandra and music director Hamsalekha who makes the film worth watching. One can see the pain of shooting on the busy and tiny streets of Bangalore Ramachandra's camera. Hamsalekha has given some hummable songs like 'cricket, cricket'. Totally the film is worth watching. Don't miss it.

Direction: P. Sheshadri
Producer: Jaimala
Music: Hamsalekha
Cinematography: H.M. Ramachandra
Cast: H.G. Dattatreya, Dharmendra, Suchendraprasad, Master Karthik Sharma, Master Anirudh, Master Puneet, Master Pratham, Baby Namratha etc