From India’s southern state of Karnataka, this award-winning comic gem made by first-time director Raam Reddy charms with its easygoing naturalism, evocative setting and colourful cast of characters.
Raam Reddy’s bold, vibrant first feature is closer to Émile Zola than it is to Bollywood.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2016
Thithi 2016
This uproarious village comedy from southern India follows three generations of misfits after the death of a family’s cantankerous 101-year-old patriarch, Century Gowda. While the villagers reverently plan the funeral celebrations (the ‘thithi’), Century’s grandson, Thamanna, is only interested in making a quick buck by selling off a block of land that Century owned. Trouble is, technically it has now been passed down to his gadabout of a father, Gadappa, who has no interest in material matters if they can’t be drunk or smoked, but nevertheless proves uncooperative. Meanwhile, Thamanna’s teenage son, Abhi, should be helping with the celebrations but is more interested in romantically pursuing a young shepherdess from a nomadic family. Schemes are concocted, with everything coming to a head as the entire village gathers to pay their final respects to old Century. — MM
“[In] a film that is funny, humane, and seemingly effortless, this young director has coaxed from a massive cast and a specific setting a great deal of character, an evocation of a locality and its society, and wrapped it all in a Renoirian understanding of human behavior. The film is a real pleasure.” — Daniel Kasman, Mubi