Life in vain

Life in vain: My quick take on Sanchari Vijay’s “Pukkshate lifu”

Indeed, my life would have been in vain if I hadn't seen a 5-minute feature on the top four brilliant kannada movies of 2021, in which the presenter mentioned this hidden gem "Pukkashate lifu." It is available on Zee5, and it is deserving of a place on this list of the best Kannada films. I liked it for two reasons: first, it was well-written, well-directed, and well-performed by all of the actors, and second, it starred talented actor (late) Sanchari Vijay.

I regret not having seen any of his previous films; I read that Sanchari Vijay was a trained stage actor (which is reflected in his body of work), and he is already a national award winner. A fatal road accident took away this rare talent from kannada films. In this film, he plays Shahjahan, a lock and key smith who provides people with duplicate keys, allowing them to open locks whose keys they had lost. His ability to open difficult locks qualifies him as an accomplice of a police gang that uses his talent to rob houses in the neighborhood and then return the booty to the owners after a few weeks as if they has resolved the robbery case and then demanding a cut from the owners.

The plot is set in a city suburb, where Shahjahan has a roadside shanty where he does his locksmith work, and a nearby police station led by SI played by talented Achyut kumar, who leads a pack of male and female cops. The cast and setting give you the impression that you are watching a good Malayalam film, because everyone acts very naturally and gives a very convincing performance. Hats off to the writer who adds some twists to the story, turning this comical plot into a dark comedy of errors. I read somewhere that this was Aravind Kuplikar's first directorial venture; let me tell you, this bloak has a bright future.

On the performance front, Sanchari Vijay and Achyut Kumar stand out, as do the other cops at the police station. The writing was good, but I'm not sure why the protagonist was shown representing one community and his love interest representing another. In any case, it did not halt the flow of the story. I wouldn't say it's a great film, but it's definitely worth seeing as a tribute to the wonderful actor Sanchari Vijay.