Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Elumale (Kannada)
The year is 2004, and the date, October 18. A young woman misses the last bus to Mysuru on a seemingly important night. A cab driver runs over a stray animal on a highway around the same time. Right about then, a team of highly trained paramilitary officers embark on a mission to capture or kill a dreaded forest brigand, while a rookie, annoyingly overexcited cop decides to put his best foot forward on the job somewhere else. These and countless more events, both innocuous and imperative, come together to create one heck of an episode that is Punit Rangaswamy’s Elumale, a film where coincidence of the unimaginable order decides the fates of many different people.
At the centre of it all is the starry-eyed couple Revathi (Priyanka Achar) and Harisha (Raanna), whose naive idea of eloping together (on the former’s wedding eve) screams disaster from every angle.
Revathi is the sister of a wealthy MLA candidate in Tamil Nadu’s Salem. In contrast, Harisha leads a hand-to-mouth existence that might not suffice for their dreamed-up happily-ever-after. Still, the two decide to take the plunge, but the night they are meant to meet in Mysuru and move onwards unravels to be nothing less than predatory.
Yes, this is one of those old-school romances where the brother hops into a Qualis or Sumo with his bloodthirsty lackeys and runs riot, chasing the couple. But this is also the movie where the brother is a mild inconvenience in comparison to what other circumstances throw at the couple.
For debutant Punit Rangaswamy, every element – from the physical setting of the story (unfolding almost entirely in and around Karnataka’s MM Hills) to the era that it takes place in – is integral to how the narrative unfolds. If the year 2004 relates to a time that wasn't yet disillusioned by the digital age and perennial human interaction, the date of October 18 marks arguably one of the most momentous occasions in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu’s shared factual history.
Objectively, there isn’t a relevant context to why the story unfolds on a specific night, but Punit’s ambition comes with a wink and some whimsy, and he unflinchingly dials up the drama without ever making it predictable.
As a domino effect takes charge of the night, Revathi and Harisha’s simple plan is overshadowed by a range of players, including militant outfits, unscrupulous cops, shootouts, deaths and more.
The writing shines in how it avoids any heroic aggression, and despite the over-the-top glimpses in the storytelling, one never feels that either Harisha or Revathi could extricate themselves from their situations with any kind of cinematic showmanship. In fact, Punit succeeds in making his two leads feel vulnerable and fallible right until the end, allowing for a sense of calamity to loom large at all times. This allows the plot to keep us on the edge of our seats.
Though the romance comes off a tad too sweet-toothed in the opening portions, the sentimentality works eventually in making us care deeply for them.
For actor Raanna, the no-frills role of Harisha could be seen as a renewed chance at impressing Kannada audiences, given how his debut Ek Love Ya (2022) failed to make a mark. Priyanka Achar fits well into the film’s world, and the high-stakes plot helps her sail through a part that is also a little clichéd.
Kishore in the role of a senior inspector is deceivingly plain, but the actor’s measured performance lends more depth to the grey character. Veteran filmmaker TS Nagabharana as a wise head constable takes the cake with his endearing portrayal of the character. Jagapathi Babu, in the part of a special task force leader, is dependable as ever.
The rest of the cast, including many Tamil-speaking actors, do a mighty fine job in imbuing the film with authenticity. Be it the way the characters of Tamil origin speak the language without diluting its essence or the matter-of-fact manner in which the task force conducts its mission, Elumale seldom spoon-feeds its viewer but lets them unpack the nuances on their own.
The film also utilises D Imman's soundtrack well, using the four songs succinctly to elevate the mood. Advaitha Gurumurthy, the cinematographer of Sapta Sagaradaache Ello (2023) fame, remains unobtrusive and captures the layered terrain of the Male Mahadeshwara Hills without embellishing it, while veteran film editor KM Prakash infuses the right kind of urgency into the narrative.
At the same time, Elumale missteps when it starts to fill in contrivances that don’t land as intended. The plot is bifurcated when Harisha and Revathi get entangled in separate crises, but while the former’s predicament cranks up the intensity, the latter’s encounters with a nefarious group of men feel forced. The film nearly jettisons the impact Revathi’s brother has on the couple’s journey, and it is only towards the end, in an attempt to tie off all loose threads, that this vital cog gets some attention.
Does this derail the proceedings in any form? The answer, gladly, is a no, and that is because Elumale is a self-aware exercise that knows exactly what it wants to communicate. It’s a film made with a keen eye, as well as the intent to enthral audiences without being formulaic. This is also a rare effort in recent times, where every facet of filmmaking comes together seamlessly to deliver a worthwhile visit to the cinemas.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.
Views expressed are the author’s own.