Puttanna Kanagal Starring: Kalpana, Shashikumar Why it’s a classic: Puttanna Kanagal is the master of feminist tragedies in Kannada cinema, and Sharapanjara (The Cage of Arrows) is his magnum opus. Kalpana’s portrayal of a woman succumbing to societal pressure and mental illness is heartbreaking. Unlike the loud melodrama of other industries, this film uses silence, rain, and long stares to convey agony. It is the Mallige crushed underfoot—painfully beautiful.

: The film is unique because its entire script was built around a collection of poems titled Mysooru Mallige (1942) by the legendary poet K.S. Narasimhaswamy , often called "Mallige Kavi" (Poet of Jasmine).

is a 1992 National Award-winning Kannada drama directed by T.S. Nagabharana . It is a celebrated piece of art based on the famous 1942 poetry collection by K.S. Narasimhaswamy .