MovieChat Forums > Sri Manjunatha (2001) Discussion > Questions from Clueless English-speaking...

Questions from Clueless English-speaking Viewer

posted 16 years ago by RRHowell41
1 reply | jump to latest

Warnings--This whole thread could be a spoiler--so don't read it if that's a problem for you.

This film was powerful enough that I managed to follow it (to some extent) without subtitles. But I have some questions.

1) What's going on when Manjunatha puts his wife's hand on his head in the scene at the son's deathbed before the banquet? I get that the decision is to serve the banquet regardless as an act of dharma. But what is going on in the dialogue here?

2) Who's the character talking to Shiva shortly before the death of the main Manjunatha? He gives Shiva a rope with a noose in it? What is happening there?

Thanks for any help that someone can give me.

[–] gultking 15 years ago

Good to know that this film was watched by at least one "non-native".
Though I watched this film several years back, here is what I remember:

1. Manjunatha is taking the promise of his wife on his head, not to reveal about the son's death to those who have come to partake of the banquet.

2. This one's easy: The guy is Yama - The Lord of Death. You see Yama and Shiva have quite a history going back. Shiva had bashed poor Yama to near-death previously, when Yama had come to take the life of one of his devotees.

Cref Markandeya in below reference.
"Yama." Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
<http://www.pantheon.org/articles/y/yama_2.html>;
[Accessed January 07, 2009].

So Yama is a bit wary this time and gives the noose to Shiva himself and washes his hand of the matter. :0