- By Swati Singh
- Tue, 03 Sep 2024 05:27 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
19.20.21 OTT Release: Renowned Kannada filmmaker Mansore’s recently released movie 19.20.21 is now streaming on OTT. The filmmaker is known for his National Award-winning masterpieces such as Harivu and Nathicharami and has been vocal about his frustration regarding the lack of enthusiasm displayed by OTT platforms towards his cinematic creations. Despite Nathicharami initially being picked up by Netflix, the streaming giant declined to renew the deal once it expired, and furthermore, expressed no interest in acquiring his latest film, 19.20.21. Undeterred, Mansore tirelessly explored alternative avenues, only to be met with rejection at every turn.
19.20.21 OTT Release
After persistent efforts, Mansore has successfully secured a deal to showcase his latest film, 19.20.21, on Amazon Prime Video, albeit through a Transactional Video-on-Demand (TVOD) model, which allows users to rent the film for a limited time. For a nominal fee of Rs 99, viewers can access the movie, which comes with a 30-day window to initiate viewing and a 48-hour timeframe to complete watching once playback has started.
The film 19.20.21 draws inspiration from the harrowing true story of Vittala Malekudiya, a journalist, and his father Linganna, who were unjustly entangled in a web of suspicion and accusations in 2012. The duo was arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, with the authorities suspecting them of being Naxalites, a claim that would later prove to be baseless.
Despite being incarcerated for four months and subjected to a prolonged investigation spanning several years, Vittala and Linganna were ultimately acquitted nine years later, their names cleared of any wrongdoing. However, the ordeal did not end there, as no action was taken against the police officials responsible for the false accusations, leaving a trail of unanswered questions and a sense of injustice.
The seized materials, which included a few pamphlets advocating for protests against the acquisition of tribal land and fighting for basic rights, were misconstrued as evidence of their alleged Naxalite leanings. What the police overlooked was Vittala's background as a postgraduate student of journalism, a first for someone from the Malekudiya tribe, highlighting the gross misunderstanding and prejudice that led to their wrongful arrest. The film sheds light on this dark chapter, bringing attention to the struggles faced by Vittala and his father, and the systemic flaws that allowed such a miscarriage of justice to occur.