Peter Review – A tale of hidden brutality in the lap of Malenadu
Movie: Peter
Director: Sukesh Shetty
Cast: Rajesh Dhruva, Raveeksha Shetty, Janvi Rayala, Ram Nadagouda, Pratima Nayak, Deena Poojary and others
Rating: 3.5 ⭐
He is Peter (Rajesh), a young man from Madikeri. Though a Christian, he believes in the Bible as much as in the Bhagavad Gita. He has immense love for chende (a traditional drum). His mother Mary (Pratima) has lost her mental stability, while his father Jose is addicted to alcohol. Despite these struggles, along with his close friend Shambhu (Ram) and other boys from the village, he forms a team and plays chende every year at the Sri Krishna temple festival. Whether in college or in the village, Peter is always at the forefront of events and becomes the center of attention. However, Sharath Chandra (Rakshith), from a wealthy family, develops a rivalry with Peter and forms his own group to oppose him. During a chende performance, Sharath suffers a head injury, and the blame falls on Peter.
At the same time, a love story blossoms between Peter and college student Meera (Raveeksha). Now, Peter is forced into a situation where he must leave everything and go into hiding. Where does he go? What happens to the chende team? What caused his mother’s mental illness and his father’s alcoholism? What happens to Meera? Did Peter actually kill Sharath? The second half answers these many questions. In most films, importance is usually given to the hero, heroine, villain, and perhaps a supporting or comic role. Typically, the first half introduces characters and raises a few questions, which are resolved in the second half. However, director Sukesh Shetty goes several steps ahead.
This film could just as easily have been titled “Jessie,” “David,” “Jose,” “Mary,” “Shambhu,” “Meera,” or “Radha,” because every character significantly carries the story forward. Even if Peter raises at least ten questions in the first half, the narrative doesn’t rely on him alone. Rajesh Dhruva impresses as Peter, portraying the emotional turmoil of a son, lover, brother, and friend. Pratima, Deena, Ram, Raveeksha, and Janvi deliver equally strong performances. The song “Sundari Sundari”, composed by Ritvik Muralidhar, is as beautiful as its name suggests. The lush greenery of Malenadu, captured by Guruprasad, combined with Sukesh Shetty’s engaging storytelling and fitting background score, elevates Peter to another level.
