Subha J Rao
For commercial film audiences so used to the organic farming trope, the mandatory hat-tip to farmers and lush fields brimming with produce, Srikant Katagi’s Kshetrapati is a breath of fresh air, even if the subject it discusses is stark and dark.
Starring the fabulous Naveen Shankar, an effective Archana Jois, and the ever-dependable Achyuth Kumar, among others, the film sets out to speak about farmer suicides, but does not stop with seeking change — it actually lays out a framework for change.
Basava, a farmer’s son, is an engineering student in the city whose daydreams in class always feature him in the United States of America. At times, the film might seem like a lecture but I saw it more as an educative experience.
An entire ecosystem, helped by a pliant media, helps further the cause of the politicians and corporations. The rising number of YouTube news channels is proof of the shrinking space for honest voices in media.
The film boasts fine performances, including those played by Rahul Ainapur and Krishna Hebbale and everything looks lived-in. The earth is not a moist terracotta, but dusty and dark brown, in keeping with the region it is shot in.