Start the week with a film: ‘Mithya' is a haunting portrait of a young boy scarred by loss
Ever read reports of children who are suddenly orphaned and sent to live with relatives? What happens to them? That's the story Mithya tells.
Sumanth Bhat's unusual, sensitive and haunting feature debut from 2023 is now available on Prime Video. Eleven-year-old Mithun's father is dead. His mother has committed suicide. Mithun (Athish Shetty), known as Mithya, was the one who found his mother's body.
Mithya and his younger sister Vandhana are brought to Udupi by his maternal aunt Jyothi to live with her family. Jyothi (Roopa Varkady) and her husband Surya (Prakash Thuminad) do their best to take care of Mithya, but it's hard since they have a daughter of their own and Mithya barely speaks Kannada since he was brought up in Mumbai.
In fact, the pre-teen barely speaks at all. Scarred by what he has seen and remembers, Mithya has built a wall of silence around him. He makes a new friend and enjoys his bike rides, but he won't say what actually happened to his parents, even after his deceased father's relatives come to take him away.
The Kannada film chimes with this year's blockbuster series Adolescence in its exploration of the effects of domestic strife on the psychology of a young boy. There are also times when the Rakshit Shetty production resembles the same gritty British realist dramas that inspired Adolescence.
Mithya – the title means a lie – isn't your average coming-of-age movie. Sumanth Bhat's screenplay boldly examines Mithya's reaction to loss and lingering trauma. The violence that Mithya has experienced in his old home have followed him to his new abode, putting an almost unbearable burden on the boy.
You're old enough to understand what's going on, a relative of his father's tells him. But is he really?
Rather than spelling out its themes, the 98-minute film Mithya relies on observational camerawork and ellipses to communicate its protagonist's journey. The absence of manipulative melodrama result in naturalistic performances and relatable characters.
There is a recurring visual motif of Mithya with his back to the camera, wondering which way to turn when faced with a hard choice. The final scene is a moving summary of events, with Mithya's face turned in our direction, asking us to bear witness but never to judge.
Play
Also start the week with these films:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
No one had ever proposed to Bhagyashree. Her wish finally came true 35 years after her marriage
For someone who played the quintessential romantic heroine in Maine Pyar Kiya , it might come as a surprise that actress Bhagyashree was never actually proposed to—until now. Thirty-five years after tying the knot, her husband Himalay Dassani finally made the grand gesture, much to the delight of fans and romantics everywhere. The actress, now 55, took to Instagram to share the emotional moment when her husband surprised her mid-photoshoot by walking in with music playing and dropping to one knee. 'Hubby decided to finally go on his knees,' Bhagyashree captioned the dreamy photos, revealing that while Himalay Dassani had always been her partner in life, he hadn't ever popped the question—until that day. Romance Rewritten, Years Later Captured by celebrity photographer Prashant Samtani , the moment was made all the more memorable with a heartfelt background track—'Kabhi Usey Noor Noor Kehta Hoon.' With a wink of humour, Bhagyashree joked, 'Diljit would have cried to hear this version tho!' The actress admitted she had often teased her husband over the years about never formally proposing, a void he clearly decided to fill in style. In a touching caption, she wrote: 'Secret let out… No matter what everyone feels about Himalayji being a romantic husband… he wasn't so earlier and I kept telling him that he never really had proposed to me.' Bhagyashree married Himalay in 1989, shortly after achieving fame through her debut opposite Salman Khan. While her public life quieted after marriage, her private life has been one of resilience and family focus. Their son, Abhimanyu Dassani, won a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota , and daughter Avantika has made her own mark in the digital space with the web series Mithya . MORE STORIES FOR YOU ✕ « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to me They disrupt the reading flow Others SUBMIT In an age of fleeting romances and Insta-perfect relationships, Bhagyashree and Himalay Dassani's story stands as a reminder that love isn't always loud—it can be patient, enduring, and full of surprises, even 35 years in. Sometimes, the most meaningful proposals aren't about timing, but about intention. And in Bhagyashree's case, the wait made it all the more unforgettable.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Without imposition, we will learn: Kamal Haasan on issue of imposition of language
Where does Kamal Haasan stand on the issue of imposition of Hindi in the south? "I stand with Punjab. I stand with Karnataka. I stand with Andhra," is his quick reply. The pan-India superstar's latest film "Thug Life", the 234th in a 65-year career, released in theatres this week amid controversy over his comment that Kannada was born out of Tamil. He refused to apologise and the film did not release in Karnataka. "I am the actor from 'Ek Duuje Ke Liye'...," Haasan told PTI during a recent visit to the news agency's headquarters, referring to his 1981 hit Hindi film about a Tamil boy and his romance with his Hindi speaking neighbour. "Without imposition, we will learn. Don't impose, because this is ultimately education and we must take the shortest route to education... and not put hurdles in its way," the actor said. The ruling DMK in his home state Tamil Nadu has long opposed the three-language policy introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP). The party has repeatedly accused the BJP-led NDA government of attempting to "impose Hindi", a charge the Centre has denied. Stressing that the imposition of a particular language only hampers the learning process, the 70-year-old said, "I stand with Punjab. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Discover Effortless Glucose Monitoring: Request a Free Trial Dexcom Try Now Undo I stand with Karnataka. I stand with Andhra. This is not only place which is resenting imposition." The Indian cinema stalwart, hugely popular in the south as well as in the north with films such as "Nayakan", "Thevar Magan", "Sadma", "Saagar" and Chachi 420" that bridged language divides, said if you are truly looking at "international breakthrough" you must learn one language. "And English seems to be fair enough. You can do Spanish also, or Chinese. But I think the most practical thing where the shortest route to that is that we have 350 years of English education, slowly but steadily. So when you suddenly replace it, it's all over again. You make unnecessarily many people illiterate, especially in Tamil Nadu. "You suddenly force all through Hindi and you tell them that you will not get your job beyond the Vindhyas, then you start wondering, what about the promises? What about my language? Am I not one of the 22 (official languages)? These are the questions that are coming." Tamil is one of the 22 official languages of the country, apart from Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili and Dogri. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) had said it would not let "Thug Life" release unless Haasan apologised for his Kannada-Tamil comment at a promotional event in Chennai. His banner Raajkamal Films International filed a plea before the Karnataka High Court seeking protection for the release of the film, which sees him reuniting with Mani Ratnam after "Nayakan" in 1987. After a rap from the court over the remark, the producers said "Thug Life" will not be released in Karnataka. PTI Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Panchayat Season 4: Fans Can Now Vote To Bring the Release Date Closer, Here's How
Last Updated: Panchayat Season 4 fans can now vote to pre-release the show! Prime Video launches an interactive campaign letting viewers choose the launch date. Cast your vote before June 10! Phulera is back in election mode—but this time, it's not politics as usual. In an innovative twist that mirrors the charm of its own storyline, Prime Video is putting the power in fans' hands to decide when Panchayat Season 4 will hit the screens. Originally scheduled for release on July 2, the highly anticipated new season of the hit comedy-drama could now arrive sooner—if fans rally together and vote. That's right, the fictional village of Phulera is abuzz with campaign energy as Team Manju Devi and Team Kranti Devi hit the virtual campaign trail with full force. With loudspeakers, cheeky promises ('Season 4 jaldi milega!"), and social media showdowns, both sides are doing whatever it takes to earn the votes of Panchayat loyalists. But as always, Sachiv ji knows better—"unsse na ho payega." The final call now rests with the viewers. Through a one-of-a-kind interactive campaign titled 'Vote for Date Change," fans can visit and vote for their preferred team. Every vote counts toward unlocking an earlier release date for Season 4, with a live meter tracking progress in real time. The voting window closes on June 10, so fans have only a few days to make their voice heard—and bring the show back to screens ahead of schedule. View this post on Instagram A post shared by prime video IN (@primevideoin) For those unfamiliar with the phenomenon, Panchayat is one of Prime Video India's most beloved series. Set in the fictional village of Phulera, the show brings a slice-of-life portrayal of rural India, laced with humor, heart, and social commentary. Since its debut five years ago, it has cultivated a massive following across demographics. Produced by The Viral Fever (TVF) and created by Deepak Kumar Mishra and Chandan Kumar, Panchayat Season 4 is once again helmed by directors Deepak Kumar Mishra and Akshat Vijaywargiya. The new season sees the return of fan-favorite characters portrayed by a stellar ensemble cast: Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik, Chandan Roy, Sanvikaa, Durgesh Kumar, Sunita Rajwar, and Pankaj Jha. With anticipation at an all-time high, this interactive campaign has added a new layer of engagement—one that mirrors the grassroots flavor of the show itself. It's rural drama, turned digital democracy. So whether you're #TeamManjuDevi or #TeamKrantiDevi, cast your vote, move the meter, and help bring Panchayat back jaldi se jaldi. In Phulera this season, aapka vote hi aapki taqat hai. First Published:
