Atithi (2002)

(The Guest)

Stills

Violence has become a part of our lives, even though it is man’s enemy. The sane voices, of Budhdha-Basavanna-Mahatma Gandhi, against violence have been reduced to mere words on pages of human history. It is a sad commentary on our present day life.

The story goes like this. Three terrorists blast a bridge in a city, killing many innocent people and slip away in the highway. The leader gets injured while preparing for the next blast. They enter a nearby doctor’s house, and at gun-point demand treatment, strict silence and safe shelter for the `patient’ till he becomes fit. To safeguard their interest, the other two in the group take away the Doctor’s wife to a secret place with a promise to bring her back safe, if the doctor behaved as order, till the ‘patient’ becomes fit. They also warn the doctor of dire consequences if things go wrong.
Thus the ‘patient’ and the doctor spend three weeks together under the same roof. During this period, the doctor’s house turns into the operating ground for the terrorists. A little girl from the neighbourhood becoming the witness to events happening in the doctor’s house adds new dimensions to the developments as she becomes quite friendly with the ‘patient’.

Even as the ‘patient’ is on his way to fitness, the group starts planning their next move – blasting a newly constructed dam on its inauguration day. The ‘patient’ comes to know that lots of school children would also participate in that function. He tries to coax the little girl not to attend the function. But she insists on attending. He deliberately injures her foot to ensure that she does not attend the function. Doctor see this happening and in a verbal battle comes to know what they are planning. Doctor now decides to take some firm action to stop the disaster at the dam site. His decision is to stop violence by himself resorting to violence. The D-Day arrives. Doctor’s wife is brought back. Terrorists are leaving the house, doctor tries to shoot the terrorists, but cannot.

Terrorists leave for their operation. On the way, they see scores of school children moving towards the dam. The leader sees “that” little girl everywhere. He asks the driver to change the route saying “Let us think”. The film stops in that process of thinking.

ATITHI is directed by P.Sheshadri under the leadership of Sheshadri, a group of people have joined together on a co-operative basis to produce this film ATITHI under the banner “MITRA CHITRA” (It may be recalled that in a similar co-operative venture in the year 2000, under the leadership of Sheshadri a film – Munnudi – was produced, which bagged many awards at National and State level.)

ATITHI a film that brings to fore the clash between violence and non-violence, has story by J.M. Prahlad, dialogues by Boluvaru Md. Kunhi, Music by V. Manohar, Cinematography by Chandru. The cast includes Prakash Rai, HG Dattatreya, Baby Raksha, Lakshmi Chandrashekhar, CR Shashikumar, Dinesh Mangalore, Ramesh Pandith, Kitti, Yashavant Sirdeshpande and others.