What makes us appreciate the take of “Daredevil Musthafa” on communal harmony and religious differences

Weaved into an engaging and entertaining storyline, Kannada Film, Daredevil Musthafa unveils the essence of coexistence. Why should you give it a watch too? 

Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah has granted a tax exemption to the Kannada Film, Daredevil Musthafa. Directed by Shashank Sohgal, this film grabbed a lot of attention and positive reviews for its powerful portrayal of communal harmony and its bold take on societal divisions. The film is based on the acclaimed short story of the famous writer, Puranchandra Tejaswi which was written five decades ago. Daredevil Musthafa explores a story of a Muslim student in a Hindu-Majority college. It gives a timeless and important message of religious tolerance and coexistence while exploring the challenges and situations  that religious minorities face in contemporary India.

Why should you give it a watch? 

Daredevil Musthafa is a story that addresses communal tension between communities wrapped in an engaging plot and delightful comedy. The film starts with a clip from one of Poornachandra Tejaswi’s interviews where he is seen expressing his concern on how young people are engaging themselves in communal violence. The film is set in a fictional town called Abacharu which has its reputation for communal tension and their perceptions on the Muslim community. The real story begins when Abdul Musthafa Hussain, a Muslim student, takes admission in Abacharu college. To his surprise, he was the only muslim student in this entire institution. It wasn’t a wonder how Musthafa became a victim of pre-existing notions as he gradually became a subject for gossip for others. The ignorance of the students was shown in the film weaved into humor which just gets better and better as the film progresses.

If you have watched enough college dramas and believe that most of it is exaggerated drama and unrealistic performances, Daredevil Musthafa will present you something simpler yet unique. With some excellent performers like Mandya Ramesh and Nagabhushana, the balance of humor and seriousness in the film remains intact. Giving a realistic performance while playing a teenager is not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s tough not to over-do it and keep it realistic but performances in this film deserve appreciation to nail all that. Though the theme of religious intolerance and communal violence is sensitive, here the film takes a very simpler take on things. The film’s wonderful adaptation of the work of Puranchandra Tejaswi also deserves a credit. It serves his fans and inspires people to discover his work if they have not already. The film doesn’t deviate from its original message and themes about showing the perils of religious differences in the society but at the same time, it doesn’t force anything on the audience. The final act of the movie sheds light on and speaks about how it’s like to live in harmony. 

Overall, amidst the rising religious intolerance and communal violence in the country, it is refreshing to see a story that is talking about peace and religious intolerance through its simple story. The strong message comes with entertainment which is a rare thing to happen. It might be a good film to start from if you are willing to explore the wonders of Kannada Cinema. 

Production: 

There have not been many good book to film adaptations in Kannada Cinema for a very long time which makes this entertaining college drama even more special. There is a common notion where a lot of us believe that films directed by rookie filmmakers mostly turn out to be pretentious in their attempt to make something unique and big. But in the case of Daredevil Mustafa, the plot was engaging, relatable and supremely entertaining, which exceeded expectations and stood up to set standards for a good film. Another common notion is that projects of newcomer filmmakers are believed to be low in production quality. Even after being financed by crowd funded money, the film more or less does the job of doing justice to every penny invested in the film. 

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