Chomana Dhudi

Yesterday I watched 'Chomana Dhudi' a Kannada film directed by renowned theatre personality B.V.Karanth. As we all know Chomana Dhudi is a very famous Kannada novel by great Kannada writer Dr. Shivarama Karanth.

This book remains as one of my favorite Kannada novel of all time. I have the crazy habit of reading it again and again. It kindles my emotion. The novel is the very reason why I become the ardent fan of Shivarama Karanth.

When I first read the novel long back, I was taken aback by its content. The novel depicts the life of people from suppressed class, through Choma and his family. It made me emotional and opened up my eyes to the life of suppressed people in the Ghats who were on the downside of advantage.

The social inequality and conversion from one religion to another were the things that are haunting from so many years. I have seen and heard people converting from one religion to another. But I never imagined that this issue been mentioned in this Kannada novel 60 years ago. 

I have a vague memory of watching chomana dhudi movie in doordarshan in my childhood. I don’t think that I would have understood anything from that then. After reading the novel, I was searching to see the movie. But I had a fear, because of the previous experience of watching the movies, which were based on novels, failed to impress me. They were slow and boring. I thought chomana dhudi as a movie might disappoint me. 

I was searching for this movie but unable to get it. Few days back when I went to sapna book house, I found and purchased this DVD. I watched the movie. It left the same impact that the novel left on me.

Choma is an untouchable bonded-laborer in a village who is working along with his family for a landlord. Due to his social status, he is not allowed to till his own land, something that he desires most. Though he managed to rear a pair of bullocks that he found straying in the forest, he cannot use them to till the land. He comes in contact of Christian missionaries who try to convert him giving him the lure of the land, but Choma does not want to let go of his faith. He releases the fury that fate has beset on him, by beating his drum.

He has three sons and a daughter; two of his elder sons work in a distant coffee estate trying to pay off the debt. One of the sons dies and the other one converts to Christianity by marrying a Christian girl. His daughter, Belli works in the plantation and falls for Manvela, the estate-owner's writer. She becomes pray for estate owner, who then writes off Choma's debt.

She returns to Choma's home without telling him of the reality. His youngest son drowns in a river, with nobody coming to save him because of him being an untouchable. He then finds his daughter in an compromising position with Manvela. With anger, he beats her and kicks her out of the house. To defy his fate, he starts tilling a piece of land and then chases off his bullock into the forest. In the climax, Choma shuts himself in his house and starts playing the drum till he dies.

Choma’s drum is the integral part of the story. It is the drum with whom Choma shares is feelings with.

The screenplay and dialogue of Shivaram Karanth, music and direction of B.V.Karanth are the highlights of the movie. But Vasudeva Rao and Padma Kumta, steals the show as Choma and Belly.

Chomana dhudi won 3 national awards of 1976

• National Film Award for Best Feature Film
• National Film Award for Best Actor - M. V. Vasudeva Rao
• National Film Award for Best Story – K Shivaram Karanth

Chomana Dhudi is a must read as novel and must watch as a movie. It is very rare that a creative work is accepted in both the art form.  Chomana Dhudi is a gem.