Vimukthi / Kannada / 110 mins / 2008 / India
‘Vimukti’ is P.Sheshadri's 5th film. It attempts to explore the enigmatic man-woman relationship from a completely different perspective.
“You have to die here within 15 days, or else you have to quit the place!” This headline in a newspaper with reference to `Mukthibhavan’ at Kashi (Varanasi) was at once arresting. The report went on with details…
Many orthodox Hindus believe that dying at this holy place and getting a cremation in the banks of the holy Ganges River, is a sure step to salvation- no further birth and rebirth. In pursuit of this, hundreds of people counting their last days are brought to this place every day. Mukthibhavan is a special place where such people are accommodated, free of charge, but with the above condition, as it has to cater to the needs of many in the queue. Those who do not die within the stipulated period return home with the sad feeling that they are not destined to attain salvation. The 12 rooms of Mukthibhavan have seen over 20,000 such people in the last five decades.
‘Vimukthi’ took shape on the basis of several thoughts that churned the mind after reading this report.
Desires and attachments are the root causes for the agonies of human life- both mental and physical. All of us, in our own ways, seem to be perennially in search of freedom from these shackles. The characters of Vimukthi keep exploring the means of unshackling themselves from these Desires & attachments.
P. Sheshadri has conceived the story of ‘Vimukti’ and has directed it. S. Ramachandra is the cinematographer and Kemparaj has done editing. Pravin Godkindi has rendered the music. The cast includes Ramakrishna, Bhavana, Aravind, Hoda (an Iranian actress) Venkatarao, and others.
National Film Awards -2008 (Best Regional Film in Kannada)