Jatta Movie Reviews

In his very first film, director BM Giriraj has proved to be a man with big sensibilities and with a gift for story telling. Jatta, that stars Kishore, is one of the best films in Sandalwood in years. It blends art and vision in a narrative that is both interesting and intriguing.

The film's protagonist is Jatta (Kishore) a forest guard. Though short-tempered, he is dedicated to his work and the forest. When his wife elopes with a tourist from Bangalore, Jatta's little world undergoes a huge transformation. He is easily influenced and not all of it is by good people. A honest forest officer, a social worker who uses religion as a tool to further his own good have different influences on Jatta. In the belief that women should be traditional, he decides to impose it on an accident victim whom he chains in his home in the forest. She becomes his biggest influence. It is Jatta who begins to change, but will the others recognise why he is changing. In this narrative is blended other issues of his job, social status, belief in a tribal god and sandalwood smugglers. The audience will hardly get to see a dull moment or frame in the film. It is not an edge of the seat thriller but a film that will set you thinking.

The four main actors; Kishore, Sukratha Wagle, Pavana and Premkumar give brilliant performances. Kishore even has a made-for-this-movie style of sprinting. From, the reason why one of his eyes is of a different colour to his dress, there is a fine attention to detail. The locations give the film a very natural image. The isolated house surrounded by water gets different psychological contours throughout. The camerawork and background score gives the film a touch of class. Giriraj as the writer and director of this film is a real find for Sandalwood. Kudos to producer Rajkumar for having the conviction to make this film.