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Heggana Muddu (Kannada)
Writer-director Avinash Belekkala of Heggana Muddu (loosely translated as Cute Bandicoot) can write the small moments that other writers struggle with really well. The silences, the understanding looks, the face as a tapestry of emotions … they all land perfectly. A film about a young couple pushed into marriage after a meeting and numerous mundane, bordering on boring, text messages provides plenty of opportunities for these small moments.
But first a word about the performances. Ajitha might be written as a red flag, but what a glorious red flag Poornachandra Mysuru makes. Over the years, it has become clear that he is an actor who is criminally underutilised in an industry that is struggling to find and retain a new generation of actors.
As for Aditi Sagar, what does one even say! Her face is like a transparent shield between the world and her, showcasing every doubt, joy, sadness, or question. She’s also someone who acts with her physique. Over the course of the movie, she goes from someone confident to vulnerable, before discovering herself. And, she gets you to understand all of this without uttering a word.
Heggana Muddu begins very promisingly as a relationship drama — a girl of humble means is married to a boy who runs a ponzi scheme of sorts with some friends. He’s a talker, she’s the quiet one. He seems sensitive enough, pushing off intimacy till they get to know each other. She replies with a hug. I would have loved to know more about how two totally different personalities slugged it out in a big city in the new millennium.
But then comes the curse of the second half. If traces of Ajitha’s personality – if it was today, he would have been rushed for therapy – begin to worry you in the first half, with his possessiveness, deep-rooted sense of patriarchy, and male saviour complex kicking in at inconvenient moments, it takes over the second half. Prerna is reduced to a footnote here, with the full focus on Ajitha and his half-hearted attempts at seeking a solution to an ignominy he suffered at a police station.
Heggana Muddu is well written, but would have benefitted from a better gaze. Throughout the film, Ajitha, who looks perfectly groomed, reminds you of Kumbalangi Nights’ Shammi in some way — there’s a trace of creepiness that refuses to go off. I just wish boys and men who watch the film see him for what he really is, and not what he thinks he is.
I’d like to believe Avinash wrote Ajitha as a flawed character who is deeply self-centered — it is always about his difficulties, his struggle, his desires. But, it was a tad disappointing to see Prerna, who now knows Ajitha controlled her life from afar without ever stepping in, accept him and his love so easily. How lady, how?
There are some standout moments in the film that delve deep into the characters – Ajitha standing next to a new car in the office garage, with a scooter key in his hand wanting to act on his innermost thoughts, his face a mix of jealousy and anger; Prerna revving the bike and heading to a temple, where she sees her former love and his wife, and what follows; Prerna, in a mix of solitude and joy, breaking down in the bathroom of her new home, wondering what she’s signed up for – these moments tell me Avinash is someone to look out for.
Actor-producer Dhananjaya needs a pat on the back for backing films that are not run-of-the-mill. The tech team is on-point too, especially composers Ronada Bakkesh and Karthik Chennoji Rao and cinematographer Nachiketh Balekkala.
The film definitely deserves love for attempting to throw the spotlight on things others shy away from. Life is not perfect, people are definitely imperfect, and Heggana Muddu reinforces that. I just wish it did that with perfection.
Subha J Rao is an entertainment journalist covering Tamil and Kannada cinema and is based out of Mangaluru, Karnataka.
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.
