Sahit Mothukuri’s debut film as director is a strong ideologically driven story– that is Pottel’s major plus point as well as a minor minus point.
Pottel set in Telangana’s border areas of 1970’s deals with the serious ideas of caste based oppression, religious dogmas, cultural goddesses of Telangana and yes, access to education. ‘Education as a tool against casteist oppression’, is the main thematic subject of the film.
Pedda Gangadhari becomes Pichi Gangadhari for speaking out the truth, the truth of how Patela (Ajay) has been faking sigamekkadam: possession of goddess Balamma. Ajay plays Patela, the feudal casteist and sexist landlord of the village Gurramgattu– situated somewhere in the present Telangana region.
The core driving force of Gangadhari is to educate the next generation, the education which he was never allowed to learn due to his birth as an elder twin-brother to a goat-rearing family. ‘Education for everyone’ Sounds done-and-dusted level of preachiness? No it is not. Especially, because of the engaging screenplay rooted in the emotional motivations of characters. Emotional root-causing of characters is important because, often, the life changing perspectives we get rarely hit by are all emotionally connected than just plain information of facts. Gangadhari has an emotional reason to be an adamant advocate of education-for-everyone. These emotional motives, and overcoming of existing fears at the most cinematic moments, all make the scenes even more interesting, engaging– emotionally and intellectually too.
Ananya Nagalla as Bujjamma, playing the gentle wife to Gangadhari, who can rebel against even an entire village for the right cause, has definitely risen as a good performer. She adds a great value to the existing film industry that is dire of naturally Telugu-speaking actresses. Ajay as Patela also made a tremendous dare by playing a villainous role. The visual of both saree-clad Patela and Khaddar-clad Patela against the grandeur background score composed by Shekar Chandra has a terrific cinematic-visual power. Shekar Chandra’s songs are neither disappointing nor ear-bleeding, they are decently composed songs, especially for the apt lyrics written by lyricist Kasarla Shyam.
Speaking of visuals, the large arid landscapes captured by Director of Photography, Monish Bhupathi Raju are stunning. It is quite common for a small budgeted film to be shot in real locations. It is always refreshing to see the locations that are not built in studios.
Sahit Mothukuri’s Pottel is a genuinely ideologically strong film that reminds you of new-age Tamil film makers like Pa. Ranjith and Mari Selvaraj, not for their artistic sensibilities but for their direct approach in addressing the serious social issues of caste oppression. However, that cost that to be paid for blatant directness is the nuance. The Character of Patela is a caricaturization of a vile villain, there is no greyness in the pitch darkness, just like how we portray the Britishers as devilish anti-Indians. Apart from minor qualms, Sahit Mothukuri must be appreciated for sticking to the brutalities of the past, like banishing from villages, public flogging, caste hierarchies, exploiting the sentiments of God and Goddesses for the sake of political power. You can sense the politics of Sahit through Pottel. And, I believe, Sahit succeeded as writer-director, if he could make you sense his political sensibilities- which he did.
Pottel is an engageable serious social drama that challenges the casteist brutalities of 1970’s Telangana.
TeluguFunda Rating: 3.5/5
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