Panorama Of Contemporary Indian Cinema

The Road to Kuthriyar

Original Title : Kuthriyar Sellum Vazhi
Director : Bharat Mirle
Country : India
Language : Tamil, English
Duration : 115 minutes
Year: 2021

Synopsis

Dhruv, a wildlife researcher from the city, is faced with the task of conducting a ‘mammal survey’ of the 600-square-kilometre Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. Armed with 40-year-old maps of the area and a GPS device, he must navigate the park on foot and he recruits a local tribesman from the area – Dorai, to serve as his guide.

The severity of the task immediately becomes apparent to Dhruv. Aside from the physical challenge posed, he struggles with his wayward assistant. Not only is Dorai addicted to alcohol, but he also appears to be terrified of officials.

Through the course of their journey, however, the two forge an unlikely friendship and a relationship between equals. When an accident takes him to Dorai’s village, the wool of ‘civilisation’ is lifted from Dhruv’s eyes and his attitudes towards the marginalised are transformed.

Bharat Mirle

Director

Bharat Mirle is a self-taught, award-winning filmmaker from Bangalore, India. His short documentary, 175 Grams was the winner of the Sundance Short film Challenge, and was screened at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. In 2017, he completed his first short fiction short ‘Vaahana’, which was the winner of the 2018 Jakarta International Humanitarian and Cultural Award and was part of the official selection at the New Jersey Indian International Film Festival and the Bangalore International Short Film Festival. His first feature film is The Road To Kuthriyar.

Cast

– Dhruv Athreye
– Chinna Dorai
– Parvathi Om
– M K Raghavendra
– Mariammal
– Saravana

Crew

– Director : Bharat Mirle
– Producer : Bharat MIrle
– Story : M K Raghavendra & Bharat Mirle
– Writer : Bharat Mirle
– Editor : Bharat Mirle
– DOP : Mithun Bhat
– Music : Rohit Chaturvedi, Tanvi Rao & Rahul Giri
– Sound : Alok Kotian