SWAPNA MANTAPA

‘SWAPNA MANTAPA’ the movie is based around the lives that are intertwined around a historical monument named ‘SWAPNA MANTAPA’ i.e Dream Pavilion. An unemployed man with a Masters in History, a Female Social studies teacher, the president of the school board, rich-man treasurer of the school board and a mentally impaired young woman all seem entangled in the current standing of the historical monument and their selfidentity and individual freedoms.
Shivakumar is an unemployed man with a Masters in History and the son of the school board president Siddappa. When Manjula who is Siddappa’s friend’s daughter comes to live in their house as she has recently gotten a job as a social studies teacher in the school in their town, she learns about the historical monument named ‘SWAPNA MANTAPA’ that was built by King Chanderaya.
Manjula also meets Rajkumari who is a mentally impaired young woman who is often seen around the monument. Manjula then learns that there are many superstitions surrounding
the monument. Eager to learn about its historical significance Manjula approaches Sivakumar. Sivakumar then narrates the lore of the monument and how it was built by King Chanderaya. But he clarifies that the name SWAPNA MANTAPPA was given to it as King Chanderaya’s 2nd wife Madanike loved visiting the pavilion and day-dreaming about various things.
Sivakumar details that Madanike and Chanderaya’s relationship was fraught with difficulties and misunderstanding owing to the fact the Chanderaya had won Madanike’s hand in marriage in a war and that Madanike was of the same age as of his daughter from his
first marriage. Looking for compassion and understanding that she couldn’t find in the palace and accompanied by Princess Madalase, Queen Madanike would visit the pavilion and dream
of being free and unburdened by the strict etiquettes of the palace.
Manjula finds herself increasingly identifying with Queen Madanike and agrees with her point of view. Sivakumar then explains that the queen was dis-respectful of King and that
she later fell in love with a young commoner named Chandrakumara. When the king found
out about this, he had Madanike killed and started a rumored curse on the monument. Later when Princess Madalase also professes her feelings for Chandrakumara, King Chanderaya
has him killed and issues an edict proclaiming the monument as cursed by an evil spirit. It is even believed that Rajkumari went crazy after spending a lot of time in the pavilion.
Manjula then figures that while the monuments should have stood for freedom and dreams, it was instead co-opted for the superstitions and a perceived curse. She sets out to show care and empathy for Rajkumari to bring her back to her old-self. Meanwhile Bheemraju, the rich man in town wants to demolish the monument and build a resort in the surrounding area. Sivakumar and Manjula then mobilize the locals to protest the resort and try to safeguard the monument by educating them about its historical significance.