It is based on the 2012 case where Vittal Malekudiya and his father Linganna Malekudiya, both tribals, were illegally arrested under UAPA and acquitted from the charges nine years later.
'19.20.21' is a heart-wrenching story based on a real-life incident. (mansore25/Twitter)
19.20.21 (Kannada)
After delivering award-winning films such as Harivu, Naticharami and Act-1978, Mansore is back with yet another real-life-based incident — 19.20.21.
This time, his cinematic focus is on the misuse of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 aka UAPA.
19.20.21 is inspired by a real case — the Vittal Malekudiya case — reported in the Western Ghats of Karnataka involving the tribals living in the reserved forest area.
The movie also showcases how an Indian citizen can seek justice through the Constitution which guarantees the basic rights of any individual, irrespective of background, region or other factors.
For those who are not familiar with the case, Vittal Malekudiya is a tribal hailing from the Western Ghats of Karnataka. Though Adivasis are the first citizens of any nation, they are often neglected and deprived in many ways.
A still from ‘19.20.21’ Kannada movie. (Supplied)
On 3 March 2012, exactly 11 years ago, Vittal and his father Linganna Malekudiya were arrested under the UAPA on the charges of their alleged links with Naxals.
In the film, Shrunga plays the character of Manju which is based on Vittal Malekudiya.
Manju is a journalism student who finds himself on the wrong side of the law for raising his voice for the welfare of his community.
The tale revolves around the sad state of affairs of how the system, which is constituted to protect the citizens, goes against the individuals by misusing the UAPA.
While Manju as Vittal is an important aspect of the story, writer-director Mansore largely focuses on the misuse of UAPA in 19.20.21.
Ever since the UAPA came into force, especially after the amendments (primary change to Section 35 which allows the government to categorise individuals as terrorists (apart from organisations), it has been widely reported on how the Act is being misused.
Many argue that UAPA has never been constitutionally reviewed and its repeated abuse is a blot on our constitutional values.
According to reports, about 50 per cent of the people arrested under the UAPA in 2021 are under the age of 30. Similarly, questions are being raised about the rate of convictions in such cases.
ನಮ್ಮ ಸಿನೆಮಾದ ಕತೆಗೆ ಸ್ಪೂರ್ತಿಯಾದ ನಿಜ ಜೀವನದ Real Hero’s ಅವರಿಗೆ ವಿಶೇಷ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶನ.
A special show for Malekudiya community.
ಇದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಸಾರ್ಥಕತೆ ಇನ್ನೇನು ಬೇಕು.
❤❤❤❤❤#film192021#Dcreations#Satyahegdestudios#3rdmarchintheatres pic.twitter.com/knqjaxVrga— ಮಂಸೋರೆ/ManSoRe (@mansore25) March 1, 2023
Mansore’s 19.20.21 reflects the ordeal of the neglected community and finds a hero amongst them. The protagonist (Manju) raises his voice for the upliftment of his tribes and is wrongly detained by the system.
Shrunga as Manju in ‘19.20.21’. (Supplied)
His nine-year-long fight for justice is a heart-wrenching tale that the film depicts to near perfection.
Shrunga as Manju and Balaji Manohar as his advocate portray their characters really well and narrates the (Vittal Malekudiya’s) “fight” on screens to good effect.
Apart from the galore of first-class performances in the film, it is Mansore’s honest portrayal of characters and the circumstances they win big in the end.
19.20.21 is a film that one needs to watch for the sole purpose of being aware of our basic rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
It also needs to be watched to know how one can fight for justice against all forms of illegalities that still exist in our society.
(Views expressed are personal.)
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