Girish Kasaravalli's Riding the stallion of dreams is a lesser seen modern work of art. An interesting plot mixed with the cultural background of North Karnataka mixed with feudalism as opposed to the rise of industrialism and the decay of moral presumptuousness.
The plot is kept minimal to it's best but borrowing a non -linear pattern of back and forth to tell it's tale of woe and fraudulence. Irya and Rudri are two utter poverty stricken couple. Irya digs graves while Rudri works at the landowners plantation picking flowers.While burying the dead in Hinduism is a vague concept (normally it is cremated) it doesn't occur much in the village side. While tradition speaks of a revered sadhu called 'Siddha' or who he heeds to the call comes when someone has deceased it brings good luck to the village resulting in a good harvest.
Here comes the main part of the story. A feudal farmer who has been ill for the past few months is visited by his eldest son among other heirs. driven by desire to sell his plot to factories so that he can make an English school and make a better living out of his profession as a college professor. His wife and child is less ado bothered about her father-in-law. The caretaker Matadayya tells them to take care of her father-in-law as he will die within a few days. Inter twined with it Irya dreams of the father-in-laws death and makes a burial ground and goes to the feudal family's home for the burial process. He is mocked by Matadayya and sent away with a mere 20 rupees. Then Irya begins to contemplate weather his dream has failed him for it has never happened so, and his dream is precision wise accurate. The next day Rudri,Irya's wife dreams of Siddha visiting the village. She goes begging money and vegetable culinaries and meat with liquor to hold the tradition of inviting him. But when Siddha doesn't arrive both fall in mere depression that their dreams has failed them or perhaps are they rejected in God's eyes ?
A film like this has to be experienced and it surely will break cultural barriers. Highly recommended.
The plot is kept minimal to it's best but borrowing a non -linear pattern of back and forth to tell it's tale of woe and fraudulence. Irya and Rudri are two utter poverty stricken couple. Irya digs graves while Rudri works at the landowners plantation picking flowers.While burying the dead in Hinduism is a vague concept (normally it is cremated) it doesn't occur much in the village side. While tradition speaks of a revered sadhu called 'Siddha' or who he heeds to the call comes when someone has deceased it brings good luck to the village resulting in a good harvest.
Here comes the main part of the story. A feudal farmer who has been ill for the past few months is visited by his eldest son among other heirs. driven by desire to sell his plot to factories so that he can make an English school and make a better living out of his profession as a college professor. His wife and child is less ado bothered about her father-in-law. The caretaker Matadayya tells them to take care of her father-in-law as he will die within a few days. Inter twined with it Irya dreams of the father-in-laws death and makes a burial ground and goes to the feudal family's home for the burial process. He is mocked by Matadayya and sent away with a mere 20 rupees. Then Irya begins to contemplate weather his dream has failed him for it has never happened so, and his dream is precision wise accurate. The next day Rudri,Irya's wife dreams of Siddha visiting the village. She goes begging money and vegetable culinaries and meat with liquor to hold the tradition of inviting him. But when Siddha doesn't arrive both fall in mere depression that their dreams has failed them or perhaps are they rejected in God's eyes ?
A film like this has to be experienced and it surely will break cultural barriers. Highly recommended.
