Gandhada Gudi is the last time we will see Puneeth Rajkumar on the big screen. The filming of this documentary feature began exactly a year before Puneeth’s untimely death at the age of 46. He passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest on October 29, 2021, and on the same day in the year 2020, he began his journey to explore Kartanata’s biodiversity.
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While we locked ourselves in our homes fearing a novel virus that turned our lives upside down, Puneeth broke free from restrictions and decided to realise his long-nurtured desire of spending time in the wilderness. If you think about it, it’s poetic. Despite the Covid-pandemic and the lockdown, Puneeth got to spend the last months of his life doing what he loved. In hindsight, Puneeth’s personal project, which is a grand version of a personal vlog, was a true blessing. Not everybody gets to exit life in such a beautiful way.
The docudrama begins with Puneeth and well-known wildlife filmmaker Amoghavarsha JS cruising deep into Nagarhole National Park in an open jeep. Puneeth reflects a mélange of emotions as he journeys into the wild. He faces the jungle while maintaining a childlike smile. From sighting a tiger, a herd of elephants and a lone bear from a safe distance, to being just an arm’s length away from a Malabar pit viper and an 11-feet-long King Cobra, Puneeth’s experience in the jungle spans the entire spectrum. He also camps in the dense forests of the Western Ghats and gets spooked when he hears a hissing sound that follows him. “Amogh, what’s that sound?” asks a worried Puneeth. “I think it must be a snake. There are 70 varieties of snakes in this region,” Amogh replies, leaving Puneeth with mixed feelings.
“I have three films to complete in Bengaluru and have children back home. I will safely get back to them, no?” he asks his guide only half in jest.
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In between his encounters with the wildlife, Puneeth also recalls his childhood memories, taking us to his father’s birthplace and recounting hitherto unheard personal stories, and glimpses of Dr Rajkumar from the family’s video archive. It’s an engaging, nostalgic ride.
Cinematographer Pratheek Shetty’s camera sweeps across the rivers of the Western Ghats, measures the length and breadth of Jog Falls, different hues of blue under the ocean and captures the sprawling horizons of the forests in an immersive way. Amoghavarsha, who has also directed the film, has managed to find humour within certain circumstances, adding to the experience. Besides letting us in on his personal stories, Puneeth also slips in timely messages on protecting the environment and forests.
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Gandhada Gudi comes wrapped in a strong sense of nostalgia. As a matter of fact, all of Puneeth’s films carried this feature. Of all his siblings, he always seemed at the forefront when it came to owning the sprawling cinematic legacy of his father, the late movie-god, Dr Rajkumar. And not so surprisingly, when Puneeth wanted to explore the wilderness, he borrowed the title Gandhada Gudi from his father’s blockbuster canon.
The title Gandhada Gudi, which means the shrine of sandalwood, holds a special place in Kannada pop culture, thanks to Rajkumar’s 1973 film of the same name. In the film, Rajkumar played the role of a forest officer, who puts the spotlight on the importance of fighting against poaching and conserving forest lands. And more than 50 years later, Puneeth re-emphasis the same principles while the majority of the world seems still indifferent to the effects of rapid climate change.
