At the core of Chirate Bantu Chirate is the central concern of human animal conflict. A clarion call for peaceful symbiotic co-existence between the two. An unwritten covenant not to infringe into other’s natural space and right to survival sustenance.

The premise of the plotline inspired by an ancient stone sculpture on the bank of river, Tungabhadra, in Sringeri, which depicts the protection of a pregnant frog by a poisonous cobra. The (predator) cobra spreading its hood above the frog, protecting its (prey) from the harsh sun.

A laudable objective, and a timely one, the means to the end, the filmmakers adopt to drive this universal homily though, leaves much to be desired.

Stacking all possible social messaging. Acerbically showcasing the unethical malfeasance that has set the rot in society, into an otherwise humdrum narrative. Chirate Bantu Chirate is rendered into crass comedic caricature of guileless, gutless characters who constitute its chief constituents.

Much of it tastelessly done to tickle the filmgoers funny bones and evoke guffaws galore. The makers, it seems were more concerned about raking back their investments, than provide delectable, and discerning film wherein skewed development overdrive is shrinking forest spaces forcing famished feral inhabitants to hunt in human habitats.

According to our filmmakers, the country’s village folks are all bumpkins or imbecile dolts over whom one can easily pull wool over their eyes and profit from their abject naivety.

That they can be taken for a right royal ride and all it needs is some glib talk and clever convincing and they would simply fall hook line and sinker to your devious con chat.

Else, how could you digest that the citizens of Chamarajanagar, of Chirate Bantu Chirate, blindly fall for exploiting tricks of every conceivable person they meet. The film, right through, is sprinkled and spiced with such shady persons to pick the pockets of the people.

Be it the gluttonous village vet, or the scamming forest guards or for that matter the scheming shaman, each out to empty the pockets of the “unsuspecting” rich farmer, or for that matter the much educated new age agriculturist, the others as well, notwithstanding.

Sadly, it is makers of Chirate Bantu Chirate implicit belief that with such asinine antiquated comic track, the urban audiences, more tuned to high octane derring-do dramas, would savour such silly sloppy socially conscious, well-meaning Chirate Bantu Chirate.

Unfortunately, in the resultant tomfoolery, the film’s serious concern is lost in the labyrinth of lampooning the makers indulge in to milch the comic interludes, and byzantine by-lanes it takes to reach its intended goal post – animals too have a right to life and existence as their human counterparts.

Yes, the film, though, beyond these excruciating lapses, and basic treatise about man-animal conflict, can also be read as severe and stark indictment of the malfeasance of corruption prevailing every State apparatus with avaricious people misusing their position with impunity.

The victims in these case being the unassuming, trusting and hapless village folks who have no choice but to look up to these vile vultures to find solutions to their problems.

In that sense, the film’s eponymous title, offers itself as a metaphor as to who the real leopards are. The forest feline which raids the livestock of the farmers and villagers or the men in benefactors habiliment fleecing the unsuspecting, trustful villagers in the guise of solving their forager from forest feline plight.

While Chirate Bantu Chirate’s prospects in the urban centres is rather moot the film’s litmus test though lies in how it fares in the Chamarajanagar and its surrounding hinterland belt where the film is located.

How well do the denizens of these regions receive and respond to the imagery of representation the film makers of the folks will have to be watched as where it takes Chirate Bantu Chirate.

For, in seasoning their film with silly and stupefying giggly gags, the filmmakers seem to be flogging a dead horse and valiantly fighting a lost battle to draw the curious cine goers just by film’s folksy title.

A much suave script and slick editing splicing away the comedic chaff probably would have brought the expected dividends, both in terms of appreciation of film’s larger thematic treatise as also as engaging family edutainer.

Still, with all the critical misgivings about its making, Chirate Bantu Chirate, is welcome like an autumnal breeze, that joins the scroll of meaningful, well intended films seeking to make a difference in society engaging family audiences thematically and entertain them wholesomely and holistically.

By

S Viswanath is veteran Film Journalist / Critic & involved in various key capacities at many International Film Festivals circuits across the Globe also co-author of book ‘Random reflections: kaleidoscopic musings on Kannada cinema