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New Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Kapata Nataka Sutradhari Movie Review: A sharp political satire that hits home
When satire is done right, it doesn't just make you laugh, it makes you think. Kapata Nataka Sutradhari, directed by Dhiraj MV, begins as a rural comedy but soon unfolds into a bold political satire. Tackling religious divides, caste bias, media hypocrisy, and performative politics, this film becomes a mirror to society. The film opens with a devotional hymn to Lord Eshwar, setting a spiritual tone. From there, we are taken to a higher primary school, where Manoj (Murali Shankar), a timid teacher in his mid-30s, struggles to maintain control. 'My name is ordinary, and so is my life,' he says—a line that lingers. Manoj takes leave from school and travels to Raibag, a historic town, to visit a thousand-year-old temple that opens to devotees only two days a year, and also to meet a prospective bride. He is joined by his colleagues, and as they arrive in Raibag, he meets Shivu (Shivakumar), a software engineer earning ₹20 lakh a year who also works as a temple priest. Also present is Abhirama (Abhirama Arjuna), a man preparing for the panchayat elections, known for his shallow charity and loud moral posturing. Director: Dhiraj MV Cast: Dhiraj MV, Abhirama Arjuna, Murali Shankar, Greeshma Sridharand Sri Sagar
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Kapata Nataka Sutradhari' movie review: Dhiraj MV debuts with a brave political satire
In Dhiraj MV's Kapata Nataka Sutradhari, a 1000-year-old temple, known for producing miracles, opens only twice a year. Despite boasting such a special temple, the fictitious town Raya Bagha is a surprisingly quiet place, or rather, it's an ignored town, as there is nobody to look into a transgender woman's complaint of the absence of a toilet for her, or why there is only one school in the entire village. It takes a Hindu-Muslim conflict for the village to come alive. At the centre of the controversy is a Muslim man, Mohammad Ismail (played by Dhiraj), who gets stuck below an elephant idol. It is believed that those who crawl below the idol will have their wishes fulfilled. The overweight Ismail takes the risk of following the ritual, and gets stuck below the idol. All hell breaks loose when he reveals his identity. Naturally, people are divided about the situation, with one group vocal about the safety of Ismail while the other vociferously behind the protection of the idol from destruction. Kapata Nataka Sutradhari (Kannada) Director: Dhiraj MV Cast: Abhirama Arjuna, Dhiraj MV, Murali Shankar Shastry, Varun Gururaj Runtime: 92 minutes Storyline: In a 1000-year-old Hindu temple, all hell breaks loose when a Muslim boy gets stuck below a elephant idol. What unflods is a political satire that aims at addressing societal prejudices and inequalities humorously. Kapata Nataka Sutradhari conveys how religion is used as a political tool by the power-hungry. The character Abhirama, who nurses political ambitions, senses an opportunity and fuels communal discord. In the 90-minute film, Dhiraj populates his screenplay with strong characters. Apart from the evil-minded Abhirama, the film has a young woman with a mind of her own. In a backward town, it's refreshing to see her discuss her desires with her potential husband. A perennially drunk guy who spits facts is also a hoot. He represents many homeless strangers in villages who are more intelligent than they appear. The sarcasm in the writing is on point. My favourite is when a YouTuber gets ridiculed as a product of the free internet. Kapata Nataka Sutradhari takes sharp potshots at the TRP-obsessed television media, reminding us of the Hindi film Peepli Live (2010). The idea, which works brilliantly to an extent, becomes the film's undoing when the director gets stuck with showcasing media's exploitation of the ill-fated, moving away from the core concept of religious harmony. From a political and religious satire, the movie suddenly becomes a media satire. A twist reveals how those in authority are ineffective and biased in handling religious conflict. Kapata Nataka Sutradhari works best when it subtly reflects the current state of affairs. Despite many proposing a possible idea to ensure both — Ismail's safety and the idol remaining unharmed — the situation remains the same in the film, showing how people want to or get conditioned to contest and quarrel instead of coexisting peacefully. And the elephant idol, perhaps, reflects our flawed system. While an innocent like Ismail gets stuck beneath it, the gullible get brainwashed by powerful people with vested interests. ALSO READ:The short film surge in Kannada: Young filmmakers are oozing promise with relatable stories After deftly handling a sensitive subject for most of the movie, Dhiraj throws his hands up in the climax. He opts for a rosy, idealistic finish, dampening the effect of the movie. The climax reveals how filmmakers are worried about their films being pulled from theatres. Movies with important subjects pivot to convenient climaxes to avoid censorship troubles. That said, Kapata Nataka Sutradhari is a promising debut for Dhiraj, who also makes a mark as a writer. The film speaks about the temple's capacity to deliver miracles. In the end, you witness a miracle, too good to be true. Kapata Nataka Sutradhari is currently releasing in theatres
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Kapata Nataka Sutradhari' trailer: Dhiraj MV and team promise a relevant religious satire
Kannada film Kapata Nataka Sutradhari is set to hit the screens on July 04, 2025. Written and directed by Dhiraj MV, the film is a religious satire. The film's trailer, which dropped on June 19, 2025, gained praise for its fresh treatment of a hot topic in today's India. The trailer shows a temple, in which devotees diligently follow the practice of crawling under an elephant idol. It is believed that prayers of those who follow this custom will be answered. One day, all hell breaks loose when an overweight boy gets stuck below the idol, and it is revealed that he is a Muslim. The trailer then showcases the confusion and chaos around the incident in a humorous manner. 'The agenda of the film is not to offend any community. What happens if a small incident gets a religious angle? I wanted to explore this idea,' Dhiraj says. The teaser begins with the quote, 'Left blames right. Right blames left. Nothing moves forward.' Kapata Nataka Sutradhari seems to touch themes such as the effect of political ideologies on society, patriarchy and gender. The debutant filmmaker adds that he sent drafts of his script to senior journalists and people from the film fraternity as part of his research. ALSO READ:'X&Y' movie review: Satya Prakash's human drama is an audacious attempt 'We didn't want to provoke people who believe in any particular ideology. I was handling a sensitive topic, and I had to convince my team members that I can execute my idea. That was one of the major challenges,' explains Dhiraj. Having assisted filmmakers such as Guruprasad and Sunil Kumar Desai, Dhiraj always aimed to make a relatable yet entertaining movie. 'I identify myself as a frustrated film buff. Most of the time, I cannot relate to what I see on the screen. So, when I was directing a film, I wanted to pick a relatable topic and convey it in an engaging manner.'
Hindustan Times
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
‘Inspired from politicians': Bengaluru film director promises 111 free pressure cookers if RCB wins IPL
As Royal Challengers Bengaluru chase their elusive first IPL title after 18 long years, the excitement has sparked not just emotional tributes and superstition-fueled gestures — but also some quirky giveaways. In a unique twist, a Kannada film director has promised to distribute 111 pressure cookers for free if RCB lifts the trophy. Also Read - Bengaluru fan wraps car in nimbu-mirchi to ward off 'Nazar' ahead of RCB's final IPL clash with PBKS Dhiraj MV, director of the upcoming political satire Kapata Nataka Sutradhari, announced that the film's team would give away 111 pressure cookers to lucky fans selected online. The offer? Simple: if RCB wins the IPL 2025 final, fans who send 'Jai RCB' to the film's official Instagram page stand a chance to win. Speaking to Dhiraj said, 'Kapata Nataka Sutradhari is India's first new-age political satire. We wanted all our promotions to carry the spirit of political campaigns — with a layer of humour.' The giveaway, he added, is part of the film's first promotional push and is designed to mirror real-world political freebies — with a cheeky nod to the ongoing cricket craze. 'Since politics and cricket are the two biggest obsessions in this country, we thought: why not merge both?' he said. 'If RCB wins tonight, the pressure cookers will go out to 111 winners — and we'll announce them on the day our film's trailer releases, June 11.' The film, produced by VSK Cinemas, stars Abhiram Arjun in the lead. Veeresh NTA handles cinematography, Prasanna Kumar MS is in charge of the music, Murali Shankar serves as co-director, Harish Rangarav as Creative Head, and Varun Gururaj as Production Head. Also Read - 'Red sea' takes over Ahmedabad as RCB and Virat Kohli fans flood streets ahead of IPL 18 final Slated for a theatrical release on June 19, Kapata Nataka Sutradhari hopes to ride the momentum of IPL fandom to build buzz. And if RCB wins tonight, fans could find themselves not only celebrating their team's historic victory — but also receiving a cooker in the mail.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
My commitment to the character led me to gain over 45kg for the film: Dhiraj MV
Filmmaker Dhiraj MV is all set for the release of his new Kannada movie , Kapatanataka Sutradhari , a political satire . He came up with the story in 2022, but it is only hitting the big screen next month because he took on a key role himself. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'The movie's poster is of an obese man getting stuck under an elephant. Initially, I looked for someone who could play the role, but then I decided that it would be better if I did it myself.' The actor explains that he transitioned from being fit to gaining over 45 kg for the role over the next few years. 'I initially considered wearing a body suit to change my appearance, but I felt it would not look natural. So, I reached out to my trainer and asked him if he could help me put on weight, but in the right way so that it would be easier to lose it, once I'm done with the movie,' Dhiraj tells us. 'ONCE I CROSSED THE 100 KG MARK, I WAS ANXIOUS THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LOSE THE WEIGHT' The actor notes that there were anxieties about reversing this weight gain. He says, 'There was a point in time when I worried about getting back to my ideal weight after the movie was done. Once I crossed the 100 kg mark, I expressed my concerns to my trainer, and we tried shedding some weight, just to see if it could be done. Now, I am working out to shed all the excess weight I've gained, and it's working out well, so far.' I want to break conventional stereotypes when it comes to storytelling. An important character in a movie need not always be someone with a six-pack Dhiraj
