Disappointing clash between tradition and modernity

Catering to the discerning class of audience, legendary film maker M S Sathyu makes a comeback after 12-years through Ijjodu. Revolving around an evil practice of Devadasi system prevalent in North Karnatka, Ijjodu chronicles the clash between modernity and tradition.

Anand (Anirudh) a photographer with modern thoughts capturing various rituals and customs of historic times meets Chenni (Meera Jasmine) a devadasi (sex worker at the altar of the village deity) and soon gets obsessed by her way of life. Determined to explore more details about her condition, Anand stumbles upon the fact that Chenni was made a victim of blind faith by her father Bhyrappa (Ramakrishna) to save the village from an epidemic.

When Chenni offers to treat Anand as part of her seva, Anand resists and confronts Chenni saying that the practice is an ancient evil and nothing less than prostitution. He further makers her understand that she has been used by the people of the village on the pretext of custom and ritual. But the question that will traditional belief give up before modernity, remains unanswered with Sathyu choosing over an anti-climax. Parallel to the theme of taking on the tradition, portrayal of village people allowing a war widow Kempi (Arundhati) to remarry a person younger to her unfolds the satiric tale.

Though Sathyu, holding onto the crisp script and tight narration achieves to capture the attention of the audience till the end, several elements like the language of devadasi, the locale- a village in Southern Karnataka while the problem is seen in Northern Karnataka and sudden overnight transformation within Chenni to accommodate modern thoughts, lead to incongruity.

While Anirudh sets up a brilliant performance, Meera Jasmine lacks homework in donning the role of a devadasi. However it is Sathya portrayed as soldier Balarama steals the show with his superb performance. The mellifluous music by Manikanth Kadri along with the splendid camera work by G S Bhaskar casts magic on the viewers.