The bold and the dutiful

If you’re interested in cinema and aren’t living under a rock, chances are you’ve already seen the tantalising teaser of Parimala Lodge. We spoke to director Vijay Prasad and actor Sathish Ninasam who maintain that the movie has a sensible story with a responsible message on par with Neer Dose, and that the controversy being created is wholly unnecessary.

One of the most talented filmmakers in the industry, Vijay Prasad, is back with another different tale cleverly wrapped in humour. After the huge success of his previous ventures — Sidlingu and Neer Dose — his latest called Parimala Lodge has turned on the heat with record views of its teaser, which was recently released by the team. The movie, which is soon to hit the floor, stars Sathish Ninasam, Yogish, Dattanna, Suman Ranganathan and others.

However, the teaser has been criticised for its double entendre by a few including a senior journalist who has threatened to approach the court if the teaser is not withdrawn. He calls it extremely vulgar and that such work should not be entertained in the industry. Director Vijay Prasad defends it, saying, “Firstly, the teaser is a mischievous way of presenting a serious issue. That apart, there is nothing in the movie which constitutes vulgarity. Films, for me, are like meditation. I work hard to showcase the hard realities of life, responsibilities and to question the system. If Neer Dose was just about double meaning jokes with no soul in its subject, it would have failed utterly. Likewise, I do not want to react to the present situation as a clarification, but instead as a humble request to the few who are criticising it after watching the teaser, to watch the film once it releases in the year 2020 and then express their opinion.”

He goes on to add that the teaser, in which a few words such as ‘inner wear’ and ‘condoms’ have been used, are not for the sake of seeking publicity but have relevance to the film’s storyline. “These are the words which everyone uses on a daily basis in real life. The story of Parimala Lodge is woven around seven different tales, which includes a true love story of a married couple, a graveyard, and much more. For example, innerwear here is to be understood as the soul of one’s person. Think of it like a person who is well built in outer appearance but lacks character (innerwear),” he says.

Actor Sathish Ninasam reiterates the same logic, saying that Parimala Lodge has a good subject and the character he plays is that of an emotional man. “The director is known from his ‘mischievous’ way of holding a mirror to society, which he has proved it in his two previous films. The teaser has been liked by more than a million people on the Internet, including women and senior citizens. There is nothing vulgar the way a few are painting it. In fact, there have been serious cases of actual vulgarity being showcased in Kannada films in the past. Here, the director has just been bold in showcasing reality in a meaningful manner,” explains the actor, who is presently busy with Brahmachari and Godhra and will soon take up his directorial debut — My Name is Siddegowda — after the completion of these.