Revising Committee clears Kannada film Matha

Matha, a new Kannada film, has obtained CFBC certificate from the Revising Committee on Monday. The TS Nagabharana revising committee cleared the film after it was rejected by the Censor Board earlier. The Censor Board had felt that the film was bold and touched taboo subjects about monasteries. However the Revising Committee found the film was not controversial and was only showcasing reality.

Matha is a special film in Kannada based on real incidents. The movie narrates a social story with witty comedy, sharp narration and emotional sequences. Matha not only glorifies the greatness of Mutts but also shines a light on their defects.

The film highlights the importance of Mutts in the progress of our society. It showcases how many of them have in the past and still continue their contribution to the welfare of mankind and society through free education, free boarding and free food.

Matha is the first Kannada film to be shot extensively in 25 districts of the State. From Male Mahadeshwara hills to Aurad in Bidar district, from Bijapur's Gol Gumbaz to Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal, from the Fort of Bidar, Yana, Mysuru, Gaganachukki, Bharachukki, Talakadu, Jog Falls, Yadagir Fort, Raichur Fort, Shravanabelagola and many more, the film has captured a whole lot of historical, religious, tourist and special places of Karnataka.

Over 72 seasoned actors and experienced technicians are part of this film. The film was shot for over 145 days and promises to give the audience a thrilling experience. After travelling extensively across Karnataka and visiting over 500 mutts, the film was shot in 80 mutts in total.

As mentioned earlier, the film is based on real incidents. In 2011, Santhosh Davangere travelled across Karnataka visiting mutts on his two-wheeler. Over 597 days of continuous travel, he visited over 5,000 villages, towns and cities covering 36,000 kilometres and in the process visited 5,216 mutts collecting extensive details about them.

During this journey, he managed to understand the greatness of several Mutts, internal strifes in some of them, selfishness in a few of them, their selfless services, the godliness in some Swamijis and the misdeeds of a few of them. He was also able to understand how politicians had managed to use some of the Mutts to meet their own ends and the relationship between the common people and the mutts.

Subsequently, based on all his travels and understanding, Santhosh Davangere wrote an epic 25-volume book named Matha Margadarshana. This film Matha is based on this voluminous work.

The plot is around a huge donation by the government to a Mutt. To usurp this money, a politician joins hands with a gullible swamiji and spreads word that the said Mutt does not even exist. He create a new Mutt in its place. Santhosh, who was a journalist is used for this scheme.

When Santhosh does this immoral act for money, his father who is the trustee of the Mutt leaves home in search of the pontiff of the Mutt who has been on an isolated silent penance for 20 years. Before leaving, he cautions his son to speak about Mutts only after learning about their achievements. Santhosh's wife is devastated by her husband's behaviour and goes away to live with her parents.

Disheartened with these developments, Santhosh embarks on his epic journey. After 597 days of travel over thousands of kilometers, meeting thousands of Swamijis and Pontiffs he understands the inside-out of Mutts.

How Santhosh manages to reclaim the glory of the very Mutt he earlier helped destroy and what happens to the politician who tries to gobble up the original Mutt's property forms the crux of the story.

The plot also unravels the mystery of the pontiff of the original Mutt who is on a silent penance for 20 years.

The film, along with being an entertaining watch, spreads the message of the importance of Mutts in our society and thus is a unique and special movie.