Ondalla Eradalla Review: A masterfully told tale of innocence

Ondalla Eradalla captures the fact that love thrives in all forms, even where evil is aplenty. Director D Satya Prakash highlights and emphasises the term 'innocence' right from the beginning. It is the keyword of the film and he has portrayed it skillfully, showing also shades of man’s iniquity.

Cast: PV Rohith, Nagabhusan, Sai Krishna Kudla, MK Mutt, Anand Ninasam
Director: D Satya Prakash

Portraying the relationship between humans and animals, Ondalla Eradalla tells the story of Sameera (Rohith Pandavapura) and his pet cow, Bhanu. A motherless child born in a Muslim family, Sameera is raised by his father, sister, and grandfather. Together they reside in the outskirts of town. The seven-year-old boy’s only companion is Bhanu, and the entire locality is attached to his pet. Sameera is often seen taking Bhanu on long walks. His favourite game is to play hide and seek with Bhanu, and on one such occasion, Bhanu goes missing.

The bovine is separated as he is being driven to town by Rafeeq, an autodriver in the neighbourhood.  A depressed Sameera sets out in search of Bhanu and gets help from Rajanna, a family friend. The entire family goes in search and lands up in the main town. How Sameera gets back his companion, and under what circumstances this happens forms the crux of Ondalla Eradalla.

While delving deep into the theme of innocence, with sprinkles of humour, Satya Prakash symbolically stitches other back stories - of a father and his long lost son, of a once childless couple, and of the politics of dividing people. At the same time, he also succeeds in showing the unity that exists among people irrespective of caste and religion.

Taking a cue from the popular Kannada folktale of Punyakoti, the honest cow and Arbhuta, the hungry tiger, he deftly gives a human touch to the story. With simple conversations and a few intelligent one-liners, it's clear that some thought has gone into the dialogue writing.

Child artiste, Rohith Pandavapura, a debutant steals the show with his captivating performance. It’s his innocence that carries the film and makes us feel for the character. Other new faces like Nagabhusan, PrabhuDeva, Master Rohit, Sai Krishna Kudla, MK Mutt, Anand Ninasam, Usha Ravishankar, and Triveni M Vasishta, also stand out individually. The film features some refreshing compositions from Vasuki Vaibhav and Nobin Paul, and the background score blends well with the story. Cinematographer Lavith Kumar adds freshness to the frames by capturing new locations.

An uplifting film for both children and adults, this unconventional film of animal and human bonding is a must watch.