ಭಾನುವಾರ, ಮಾರ್ಚ್ 24, 2013

Why 'Simpallaag Ond Love story' is a hit?

Everybody is talking about the Simpallaag Ond Love Story's (SOLS) success and generally reasons attributed for its sucess are youthfulness, dialogues etc etc. But these are the reasons at the surface level, I think there are much deeper reasons for the 'resounding success' of SOLS.

    There is a glaring absence of the 'nation state' (or its machinaries like courts, police, law, army and central government) in the storyline of the movie, however the private organisation like FM Radio channel is very much part of the movie. On the one hand one would wonder how one can weave a story like this and still be successful, on the other hand does this mean that the Kannadigas liked the way 'nation state' is portrayed in SOLS? Story line completely ignores the 'nation state' - Does it means that there is a strong disapproval of 'nation state' from Kannadigas?  The story revolves within Karnataka and never goes outside. The moment the character (one of the shade in protagonist's character) starts thinking of leaving Karnataka by applying for passport(which represents the nation state), that's the end of character in the movie!! . Viewers don't even come to know happens to that character in the movie eventually.

For all these questions, the answer would be 'yes' because the current political scenario in Karnataka justifies the 'strong disapproval' sentiments of Kannadigas towards 'nation state'. Central government hasn't helped Karnataka in the recent Kaveri issue neither did it give importance in the railways budget.  Incidentally, at the same time Karnataka is witnessing the rise of Regional Political parties to fulfill the aspirations of Kannadigas and Karnataka. This is in consistent with sucess of SOLS. The movie doesn't go out of Karnataka even in the song sequences and hence its trying to paint a Kannada world either devoid of 'nation state' or its complete absence and this has been applauded by Kannadigas emptatically with the commercial success of the movie.

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NOTE: It wouldn't have been possible to do the above analysis had I not read this book of MK Raghavendra
http://ybhava.blogspot.in/2011/10/review-of-book-bipolar-identiy-region.html