‘Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye’ movie review: Raj B Shetty, Siri Ravikumar’s drama is heartening, yet not fulfilling

‘Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye’ has a lot of touching moments and offers a distinctive experience, but it fails to amp up the drama between the leads

Siri Ravikumar and Raj B Shetty in ‘Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Raj B Shetty’s third directorial, Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye, is a philosophical take on love and life. It’s as if the filmmaker is talking to you about the purpose of your existence. If you are in the mood for some soul-searching, this film could be an ideal experience.

Very early in the film, Raj subtly establishes the state of mind of his lead character, Siri Ravikumar. She plays Prerana, a counsellor at a palliative care facility in a picturesque location. It’s her wedding anniversary, but she walks into the facility without a smile. Her subordinate wishes her for her special day; she knows about it, thanks to Prerana’s status update on WhatsApp.

The numbing mundaneness of life has engulfed Prerana. She has posted about her anniversary on WhatsApp because that’s what everyone does. Even as she talks to the patients, she gets lost in thoughts of her struggling marriage. Prerana knows her husband is sleeping with another woman and yet doesn’t confront him about his infidelity. Maturity is when you know everything yet feel nothing, she tells herself.

Her routine life gets a twist with the arrival of Aniketh (Raj) in the hospice care facility. He is a man diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer, so Prerana expects him to seek help and wail in pain. But Aniketh is the antithesis of a terminally-ill patient. He comes alone to the centre and declines counselling. All he wishes for is a room with an open window that allows him to see the scenic view every morning.

Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye (Kannada)

Director: Raj B Shetty

Cast: Raj B Shetty, Siri Ravikumar, Rekha Kudligi, Balaji Manohar

Runtime: 100 minutes

Storyline: A counsellor at a palliative care facility develops a liking for a patient

Prerana is drawn to him because he makes her feel important with small gestures, like asking her about the specialty of her sarees. Expectedly, Prerana begins to transform (a writing trope you expect in such films). But it’s hard to define their relationship; it’s not clear if Aniketh is a platonic friend to her, or if she desires his company in the romantic sense. Soon Aniketh becomes a man who adds purpose to her life, and the reason for Prerana to go to the office everyday.

Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye is a heartening film. It talks about every life being special, like the crape jasmine flowers seen in abundance in the movie. People sweep away these fallen flowers every morning, but some ignore their presence. Yet, it continues to blossom, says Aniketh.

But the film’s philosophy oscillates between being palatable and complex, and often, the simplicity acts like a double-edged sword. While the film offers a distinctive experience, it fails to amp up the drama between the leads. For instance, the chemistry between Siri and Raj feels sudden and shaky, and we don’t see more of their personality traits to understand them better. What has gone wrong between Prerana and her husband? Aniketh is a fan of the the poet and playwright Kuvempu fan; don’t we want to know how he developed his love for writing?

The film also shows how people have different ways to accept death, yet their stories are showcased in an unremarkable manner with a melodramatic tone. Raj had to be ambitious in his writing to get something extra out of the conflict of the inevitability of death. In some places, the film’s philosophy is too heavy for its own good.

Still, the performances hold the film together. Rekha Kudligi shines in a heart-warming cameo. Siri, with her graceful presence, delivers a measured performance. Aniketh appears gutsy. Or is he? Raj puts across this ambiguity convincingly. Cinematographer Praveen Shriyan and composer Midhun Mukundan also ensure the film’s sombre mood prevails throughout its runtime.

Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye talks a lot about death, but I wish it spoke about the vibrancy of life through situations than mere words. I wish it had some lightness to the love story it offers us. I found it hard to embrace the narrative completely, but it got me wondering about Raj as a filmmaker. It’s as if he is on his own trip, far away from the rat race. His individualistic journey feels random and interesting at the same time. But when it comes to the writing meeting the execution, Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana and Ondu Motteya Kathe remain his best works.

Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye is currently running in theatres