‘Hebbuli Cut’ movie review: A sharp narrative on caste bias with an engaging screenplay

Director Bheemrao’s Hebbuli Cut begins with the shot of a flower floating on water. The calming scene gets cut short when a bike runs over it. If you want to know what to expect at the end of the movie, the scene is a warning.

Hebbuli Cut tells the tale of Vinay (Mounesh Nataranga), who wishes to lead a life like the floating flower, unruffled by the harsh realities of the world. Like all school-going children, especially in small towns, he has simple desires, such as getting a hairstyle like superstar Sudeep in the 2017 action thriller Hebbuli.

The actor’s hairstyle was a craze among students in 2017. So much so that an upset headmaster from a Bagalkot-based school wrote a letter to a salon owner requesting him to avoid shaping students’ hair in that fashion. Perhaps, back then, nobody imagined a scenario where a boy would be denied the trendy hairstyle because of the family he belonged to. Bheemrao’s film is inspired by true events.

Written by Ananth Shandreya and Bheemrao, Hebbuli Cut is told from the point of view of Vinay, son of a cobbler (Mahadev Hadapad). The film, set in Chandrabanda village, in the North Karnataka-Telangana border, isn’t as gritty as you would expect in a movie based on caste disparity, because the director consciously tracks the innocent journey of Vinay, marked by unfiltered emotions and yearning for social acceptance.

Several scenes subtly portray the divide between the haves and the have-nots. For instance, Vinay’s privileged friends plan to go to Bengaluru to enjoy their summer holidays, even as Vinay remains quiet, as he doesn’t have such options to choose from.

ALSO READ:School headmaster in Karnataka requests salon owner to refuse Hebbuli hairstyle to students

In pursuit of cracking a heavy subject, Bheemrao and team ensure the making isn’t compromised. The short yet stylised fight sequence between Vinay and his classmates inside the classroom is harmless fun. Navneeth Sham’s vibrant music is one of the biggest strengths of Hebbuli Cut—a dream-like song sequence, where Vinay imagines living happily with his crush, is a soothing number that’s beautifully shot as well (Deepak Yaragera is the cinematographer).

A still from ‘Hebbuli Cut’
| Photo Credit:
Haadiyo/YouTube

Vinay struggles to arrange the hefty amount needed for the hairstyle and convince the barber (Mahantesh) to take him inside his salon as a customer, as he does for so many others in the village. The cruel end to the story is inevitable, but Bheemrao doesn’t pin-point his statement, as the climax is hard-hitting enough to convey the film’s message. The performance from the lead cast, including Uma YG who plays Vinay’s mother, is one of the pillar’s of Hebbuli Cut.

Hebbuli Cut touches upon a topic that’s considered risky in Sandalwood. The Kannada film industry has shied away from the subject of caste, citing lack of audience support. Producers rarely come forward to invest on such themes. Bheemrao’s film takes the road less travelled and the authentic world-building of his socially relevant story makes his film special.

Hebbuli Cut is currently running in theatres