Nimma Vasthugalige Neeve Javaabdaararu (Kannada)
In Keshav Moorthy’s anthology Nimma Vasthugalige Neeve Javaabdaararu (meaning “You are responsible for your belongings”), three stories passionately explore both the charms and foibles of materialistic living. Inaayat (Prasanna V Shetty), an aqua purifier salesman doused in debt, feels that his modest 125cc motorbike is the secret to the little success he has seen of late. Rohit (Madhusudhan Govind) and Rathna (Apoorva Bharadwaj), two chirpy lovers, can’t help but be lured by others’ possessions despite being surrounded by material wealth of their own. And Albert Pereira (Dileep Raj), a man on a mission to cleanse the streets of corrupt and unethical people, reveals that materialism in the current era isn’t just about tangible objects, but increasingly about personal data and privacy.
Each of these characters yearns for things that are not their own, believing that the key to their happiness lies not within, but outside of them. What’s interesting, though, is that they refuse to call themselves thieves, even though thievery is all they think about. They imbue their work with a kind of honour and code that sets them apart, and as one of them puts it succinctly at one point, they all believe that it is important to love your profession to be happy in your personal life.
One of the highlights of NVNJ is that Keshav Moorthy never seems interested in delivering a moral, cautionary tale about worldliness. Instead, he is keen on presenting a set of delightful characters who learn to live and love through their obsessions. We are told that Inaayat, a naive, socially awkward fellow, is terrible at his primary job of selling water purifiers — but when tending to his other preoccupation, few are as smooth as he is at pulling off the tricky task. We learn that Rohit withholds a key aspect about himself from the world because of the fear of being judged and rebuked — but if it isn’t for this secret of his, it is possible he would have never run into the love of his life. We see that Albert is a stoic man at all times who clearly values work over everything else — but when a vulnerable young woman enters his life, he too turns tender at the command of his feelings.
None of this, though, is ever on the nose, and NVNJ is a solid effort mainly because of the faith it places in its audience to follow the intricate weaving of each story. Anthology films often risk becoming prosaic and predictable while trying vehemently to stick to a theme or an underlying message. In this case, one seldom anticipates where any of the stories are headed. While this is partly due to the clever editing (the film, particularly in the first two segments, maintains a palpable energy), it could also be attributed to the way the characters are written that we are always engaged with what they are doing in the moment, rather than focusing on their eventual outcomes.
Of the three segments, the first is the most endearing. As the lanky man who is desperately trying to hold on to normalcy (a small detail about him being married to a Hindu woman makes the character all the more interesting) but weighed down by constant pressures, Inaayat is pitiful and rarely appealing on paper. Yet, Prasanna V Shetty plays the guy with an aloofness and physicality that make him instantly recognisable and relatable, even managing to evoke a few good laughs along the way. Similarly, Madhusudhan Govind plays Rohit with ease and sincerity, and it helps immensely that he strikes great chemistry with Apoorva Bharadwaj. Their segment, the second of the triptych, is flouncy, a tad too convenient, and also devoid of a conventional story structure. But the effervescent personalities underneath somehow make things work, and it is difficult not to be drawn to these two uninhibited, oddball lovers.
The third and final segment is the most ambitious, and Keshav Moorthy dedicates the entire second half to it. Here, the tone is far more serious, and Prasad K Shetty’s excellent background score subtly shifts from upbeat blues to solemn piano tunes to suggest that the stakes are much higher than in the other two stories. The ever-dependable Dileep Raj cuts an impressive figure as a man conflicted between duty and desire, and he shares good synergy with fellow actors Shilpa Manjunath (effective in the role of Jennifer), Vamshi Krishna Srinivas, Lakshmi Murthy, and others. However, the drive to throw us off and potentially end the film on a high note gets the better of the writing. Although the idea of putting a spin on the title and supplanting our expectations is admirable, this segment overreaches a little and leaves a few glaring logical gaps behind. It is fun and intriguing nevertheless, but culminates on a slightly confusing note.
Nimma Vasthugalige Neeve Javaabdaararu is a rare anthology that is inventive, cheeky, and feather-light in its approach. It gets most things right and a few wrongs, but its delectable spread of characters and amusing situations make up for those occasional glitches. If you are looking to kick off 2025 with something refreshing, this one should certainly do the trick.
Swaroop Kodur is a freelance film writer, critic, and a fledgling filmmaker.
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.