Dayavittu Gaminisi: Sincere attempt at a new kind of storytelling

Rohit Padaki has always been a great fan of cinema, and he has worked as a writer, lyricist and even an actor. But he always wanted to be a director, and he has done that with occasional projects, the latest of which is Dayavittu Gaminisi. The film has generated a certain amount of curiosity for its format; there are four short episodes in the film and all are connected. Earlier, Tarun Sudhir had made a similar attempt with Chowka.

Director: Rohit Padaki
Cast: Rajesh Nataranga, Vasista Simha, Avinash Shatamarshana, Raghu Mukherjee, Prakash Belawadi

The story begins with Sathyanarayana (Rajesh Nataranga). An eligible bachelor who is caught in the ‘whirlpool’ of matrimony, he gets a proposal from Ramamurthy (Prakash Belavadi) who is desperate to get his daughter Bhoomika married.

The second episode is ‘Existence’, which explores the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’. Proxy (Vasista Simha) comes from a regular family, but fate has a different path hacked out for him. He is a small-time pickpocket who also earns money by serving jail-term in place of convicted criminals. He is head-over-heels in love with Bhagyalakshmi (Sangeetha Bhat) residing in the neighborhood; will his love be reciprocated and will that cause him to change his life?

The third interesting episode is based on ‘Illusion’ a traveler, who becomes a nomad (Avinash Shatamarshana)  known by different names. In an interview to a journalist (Sukrutha Wagle), he explains his reason for traveling to various pilgrimages where he explores religious understandings.

The fourth, and the best episode from the movie is ‘Decision’, which cuts close to reality. Raghu (Raghu Mukherjee) is seen trying to manage troubles at work and in his marriage. Will he survive both and find a path? There is a surprise ending, set in a train.

Dayavittu Gaminisi is a refreshing movie, which takes an honest look at life. Raghu has pulled together many storylines that imitate regular life. He commands the show with plentiful dialgoues delivered by good actors. The first step towards a good movie is selecting good actors, and all the artistes do justice to their roles. The film leaves room for debate and discussion. Of course, there are errors in the filmmaking, but that can be pardoned, since it is from a first-time director.

Every actor has tried to outperform others; especially Rajesh Nataranga, Vaisishta Simha, Avinash and Raghu Mukherji. But the highlight of the movie is Prakash Belawadi, who has an excellent role and steals the show.

The heroines -- Sangeetha Bhat, Bhavana, Samyuktha Hornad and Shalini -- are all apt for the story. The other win for the movie is Anoop Seelin’s music. While he has tailormade the background score for each story, the songs themselves make for a beautiful episode. Aravind Kashyap must have faced a challenge in picturizing four stories differently.

Rohit Padaki has chosen a format that is new and watching this film will be an encouragement for the attempt.