‘Gaatho’ movie review: Exploring the persona of an artist

Butwall Entertainment

In director Suraj Bhusal’s Gaatho, a reclusive painter becomes the subject of study for a young researcher. Although it may at first seem that the movie is an attempt at demystifying the arts through the medium of the artist, Gaatho is not so much about the creative process as it is about the persona of an artist.

That there is a distinction between the ‘arts’ and the ‘artist’ tells of the cursory nature of the artist character in Gaatho. The movie, however, fares well as a character drama, titillating the audience with the disparate aspects of its protagonist Samrat (Najir Husen), while eventually uncovering the reason behind the way he conducts himself.

The character under scrutiny here is a painter (to be fair, it could have been anyone), whose wild strokes and reclusive personality has made him a subject of study for Simran (Namrata Shrestha).

At around 30 minutes into the movie, we hear Samrat speak for the first time. “Kasto swatantra chara,” he says almost entirely to himself, his gaze fixed at the sky as a soaring bird flies into the vastness of the afternoon sky.

In a sense, director Bhusal who shares the credit for screenplay with Pratik Gurung, is betting big with his hero at this point. Samrat is essentially giving Simran, as well the viewers, a peek into his life. If you find this invitation to be endearing, you will be invested in Samrat and all his idiosyncrasies; especially his fate. For everyone else, Gaatho will probably come across as a half-baked thriller.

…the film relies on beautiful segues and moody art design to further the character. 

As we later uncover, Samrat’s existence is bound by concerns imposed by those around him and many more that are self-inflicted. In what may very well be a conceit, the viewers do not have access to the character’s thought process, at least in the first two acts where the camera never intimately explores Samrat.

Instead, the film relies on beautiful segues and moody art design to further the character. Artree Nepal, which consists of artists Sheelasha Raj Bhandari and Hitman Gurung, lend their striking art direction to the movie, especially apparent in Samrat’s dimly- lit studio.

Like his cluttered mindscape and the urgency of a release it calls upon, his studio is a patchwork of elements built up over time.

While certain viewers may not find the final act agreeable, it is safe to say that Gaatho, although not fully realised, comes from a genuine artistic endeavour. Such a self-involved character like Samrat’s can only come from an artist or someone aspiring to becoming one.

***

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