BEAUTIFUL BHUTA

 




“And, still after all this time,

the Sun never says to the Earth, ‘You owe me’…”

Hafiz

 

In the latest blockbuster film, ‘Kantara’, I understand, that one of the many things that has left millions of viewers mesmerized is the Bhuta’s (the Demigod’s) shout. I am sure, this shout keeps haunting many of them long after the movie experience…

This is really interesting, and it brings a smile on my face…

I grew up in a village in Mangalore, and lived there for my initial twenty years. In those days, our village, and the villages around us, predominantly depended on agriculture. People were simple… Christians, Muslims and Jains were in minority. Hindus were  in majority. Yet, we all coexisted, so beautifully. Many Catholic households, like ours,  raised flowers in their courtyard gardens… The highest sale of these flowers took place during  Hindu festivals… The ‘Bhuta Kola’* (We simply called it ‘Kola’ or ‘Nema’) was one such festival/ceremony. It was an annual ritual, where the Kula Daiva  (The family Deity) was worshipped through a nightlong ceremony… till the devotees witnessed the Bhuta (the spirit) at the break of the dawn… The shout of the Bhuta resonated through the entire neighbourhood... It haunted us for days, weeks and months!

Yesterday, when one of my friends mentioned, as to how the shout of the Bhuta from ‘Kantara’ still haunted him even after a week, I smiled and said, “It still haunts me after six decades!”

Rishab Shetty is a gifted and courageous man! He has created a terrific movie… with a beautiful story, showered with stunning visuals and sound effects… It’s a treat for the eyes, and yes, for the heart... The man has poured his heart into creating this experience… Respect!

For a boy, who grew up experiencing a ‘Bhuta Kola’ around him, the film reminds me of two things… The flowers which our Catholic family grew in our garden to adorn the Bhuta… and, a very old saying in Tulu: ‘Kaala batti lekka kola kattod’…

This old wisdom in Tulu tells us, that, in Life, Time keeps changing, and, it’s prudent to change with the changing times.






Please watch ‘Kantara’… Ideally, in a cinema hall.


*Also spelt 'Bhoota Kolah'

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.: 'Kantara'

 

Video: Hombale Films

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