Roopanthara out on OTT: Watch Raj B Shetty in ‘anthology’ about human emotions on THIS platform

Roopanthara out on OTT: Debutant director Mithilesh Edavalath presents a hyperlinked narrative of 5 vastly different stories in Roopanthara, which has Raj B Shetty serving as writer too

Lekha Naidu in a still from Roopanthara

A little over a month and a half after Roopanthara came to theatres, the film by debutant director Mithilesh Edavalath is now available to stream on OTT. As reported earlier, Roopanthara had been picked up by Amazon Prime Video, with the streamer’s official bulletin about September releases listing its drop date as September 13. Turns out, the film has indeed stuck to this timetable, unlike another Kannada film, Family Drama, which was listed for September 9, but is nowhere to be found on Prime Video yet.

Roopanthara movie review: 4 decent stories, but middling pay-off hampers this anthology

Metamorphosis is at the core of Roopanthara with the characters in each of the stories experiencing situations that affect them personally. How they react to these situations and come out of it – good or bad – is what the film explores. Mithilesh uses a storyteller to tell his stories. In a dystopian future in which access to clean air and water is a luxury only some can afford, a vagabond’s life hinges on being able to appease a bunch of murderous marauders.

4 stories of metamorphosis in Roopanthara

He tells four stories with characters that remain nameless, but leave an impact on the viewing audience. Raj B Shetty, who helped Mithilesh with the Kannada dialogues and lyrics, stars in one, as a goon, who has a petty squabble with a random stranger that quickly escalates and has a rather disastrous ending. Another features an elderly couple from north Karnataka, whose trip to soak in the sights and sounds of the city, is the best of the lot.

Roopanthara’s music captures what it is to be human and grow as one, says composer Midhun Mukundan

A third story follows a beggar (Lekha Naidu), who is brought to a police station on kidnap charges, as the child with her does not resemble her. It doesn’t help that the woman’s belongings (condoms in her bag) suggest she is a commercial sex worker and that she speaks gibberish that no one understands.

The fourth and final story revolves around a disturbed young man, who has been dealing with his trauma by inflicting self-harm and acts of violence against others, fuelled by instructions from a Blue Whale like game. His final task is the crux of this tale.

Roopanthara is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video

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