The most expected film of Puneeth Rajkumar is here and there is no doubt that fans will go crazy. The combination of director Suri is the biggest advantage for the film and he know what fans ask for. If there is a film made only keeping in mind fans in mind, this is it. Suri excels in giving Puneeth to his fans in all glory. 

There is so much to the film that it will not be a one-time-experience. Fans will definitely watch it again and again as Dodmane Hudga offers much more than a single film can. 

The film starts with Surya (Puneeth) as a biryani maker in Hubballi. Srinivas Murthy is his father. Puneeth speaks Hubballi Kannada. There he meets the heroine who acts as if she is a poor girl. They fall in love and slowly the reality is opened. Both of them are not really what they are shown to be. Usha/Nisha (Radhika Pandit) has a father who is in evil company. Surya's real parents are in far-away Mandya and they now require his help. 

Ambarish plays Puneeth's father and has a well-defined character. Sumalatha, Bharati Vishnuvardhan, Rangayana Raghu, Ravishankar and many more seasoned actors add weight to the story. The story has action, good music, awesome camerawork by Sathya Hegde, drama, father-son sentiment, family values and great acting. 

Puneeth and Radhika Pandit are seen in specially imagined scenes. There is something new in every scene. The film has a fast narrative and every second has a thrilling element. This is one of the most entertaining films of the year and Puneeth and Suri have one more hit to their credit for sure.

Chitraloka Rating 3.5/5

After producing films, Murali Krishna brother of Shantaram who directed films like Bala Nauke, Hrudaya Samrajya and Karnana Sampattu, makes his debut as a director with Gara. It is inspired by one of R K Narayan's most popular story 'An Astrologer's Day' released in 1947.

With few additions to the simple plot from the classic story, the director has a webbed a sensible screenplay to turn it into a suspense thriller along with the much needed commercial aspects.

It opens up with an astrologer who meets a rich guy in a small town, which is similar to the short story but what follows thereafter when the two are connected to each other in this cinematic version by Murali Krishna, has more to what meets the eye in the end.

Turning a popular classic tale into a full fledged film is indeed a hard task especially for the one who is making his debut but the effort deserves appreciation which comes with good visuals, songs and humour. Notable performances in Gara is an added attraction especially that of Johnny Lever and Sadhu Kokila.

It is the new faces from that of news anchor turned actor Rehman, Neha Patil, Avanthika and Aditya Aryan who play the crucial role gives Gara a youthful look, but Johnny Lever and Sadhu Kokila as 'digital brothers' are the highlight. Sagar Gururaj is impressive with his compositions. Watch Gara for all its honest effort for a sensible entertainment.

Ex-minister Cheluvarayaswamy has introduced his son Sachin in the lead role in the film Happy Birthday. He has spared nothing to make sure the film is mounted lavishly. Mahesh Sukhadhare, who has made films like Sainika and Ambareesha earlier has directed this film. The film is set in the backdrop of Mandya district and relies heavily on local language and sentiments. Happy Birthday is both a romance story and an action story. The director also mixes lots of commercial elements that is required for introducing a new hero. Sachin has managed to hold his own and it is one of the better debuts we have seen in recent years. It is a perfect vehicle for a launch.

The film is about a 24-year-old who lives with his brother and sister-in-law. He is not very well studied and also very poor in holding on to a job. He manages to lose jobs within days if not weeks. Such a person falls in love and slowly manages to win the heart of the girl. The girl has only her father for a relative. To win the girl's heart, the hero leans teh art of stick fight from the enemy of the girl's father. Unexpected developments make him the villain in front of her. How he manages to solve his issues with the villains, the girl and her father forms the rest of the film.

It is a neat narrative which has some melodious songs in between. Harikrishna has given some excellent tunes and there are some good meaningful lyrics too. The photography is pleasing and shots taken from the drone of landmark temples and places in Mandya is eye catching.

Sachin is good for a debutant and shows lots of promise for further improvement. Samskruti Shenoy has also made an impressive debut. Achyuth, Chikkanna, Sadhu Kokila and Bullet Prakash add good value to the film. If you want to watch something new, Happy Birthday is a good family film.

Chitraloka Rating 3/5

Nagathihalli Chandrashekar is back with a bang. His last film Breaking News was four years ago. Before that it was Nooru Janmaku in 2010. Both these films did not have the same impact as his earlier films. But with Ishtakamya, Meshtru is back in form. It can be safely said that Ishtakamya is his best film in years. Most of his films were not only commercial hits but also critically acclaimed and won state and national awards. Ishtakamya is triangle love story. It is the kind of genre that can be as commercial as it can get. But in Nagathihalli's hand, it becomes a sensitive exploration of deeper meaning of not just love but also life. 

The film entertains not only the senses with its beautiful scenes and music but also gives food for thought with its insighful dialogues and situations. The film starts with an accident. A doctor causes the accident and takes care of the injured girl. He also gets her a job in his own hospital. As can be predicted the two fall in love. There seems to be no impediment to their love except for a nagging brother of the girl. But there is a surprise in store as it is revealed that the doctor is already married. But why did he hide his marriage? Is he cheating the new girl? Now the two girls want the doctor as their husband. It is not a regular formula that Nagathihalli employs. From here he explores the human relationship like only he can. He has ample scope for this as the film is based on a novel and there are so many aspects he can explore. 

Vijay Suriya has made a good big screen debut. Another television star Mayuri has also come out tops in her second film. Kavya Shetty is another actress to look forward to in Sandalwood. The good acting by these three along with other seasoned actors like Rangayana Raghu, Mandya Ramesh, Chikkanna and others gives the film a solid standing. On the technical front, the cinematography by Ravi Kumar Sana is breathtaking. There are some wonderful locations. Most of the shooting is done outdoors which is pleasing to the eyes. Another star of the film is music director  Ajaneesh Loknath. He has given some excellent tunes which are soft on the ears and add value to the film. 

Overall Ishtakamya is an entertaining as well as stimulating film. The old Nagathihalli Chandrashekar is back and it makes you want to see the film.

Chitraloka RAting - 3.5/5

It is very rare for top stars to do a full-fledged comedy film.  But Darshan has done it and done it in style. JagguDada is an immensely entertaining film that is a feast for his fans. The macho image of the star is also kept in mind and there is some terrific action sequences also that will everyone hooked. Moreover going by the trend of recent films in Kannada with horror themes that have become hits,  there is also a ghost in this film. But this is not a scary ghost. It is an entertaining ghost that is funny. Overall the film is a perfect film for fans as well as family audience. 

Darshan plays Jaggu Dada who comes from a family of dons. It is their family tradition. While his mother wants him to become an international Don,  his grandfather wants him to become a normal person. He ends up becoming a Don. His grandfather dies and as a ghost forces him to search for a good girl to marry. Scared by the ghost, Jaggu Dada begins his search. But there is a problem. Because he is a Don,  everyone fears him but don't want a relationship with him. How does Dada manage to find a "susamskruta" girl with such a background? That is what the hilarious story goes on to explain. 

From there on the film goes on a fun filled ride. It is clear that everyone enjoyed making the film. The audience also enjoys every bit of it.  Darshan is dashing as a Don and stylish as a businessman. He impresses in both getups. Deeksha Seth is in a cute role. She makes a for a charming presence and makes an impressive debut in Kannada. The other significant acting is by Srujan Lokesh,  Anant Nag,  Urvashi and Bullet Prakash. 

When it comes to the technical crew, the camera work by Venu and music by Harikrishna is superb. The editing could have made the film shorter. The locations of the songs in Pompeii and other scenic locations are mind-blowing.

Chitraloka Rating - 3.5/5

Director Pavan Wadeyar has scored another hit with Jessie. He has masterfully blended a love story into a horror story and made it an entertaining film to watch. The film takes the viewrs on a beautiful journey of love and then to the thrilling horror. The emotional play of the minds of the main characters adds drama to the story. Beautiful locations and more beautiful songs add charm to the film. Along with superb acting and with a steady narrative, Jessie is another must-watch film.

The film starts with Dr Nandini who starts work as a doctor. She is the most beautiful girl in Malgudi and therefore has many admirers. So many boys propose to her but she refuses. Finally, one charmer (Dhananjay as Jessie Gift) manages to win her heart. It seems her wait for the perfect match is found. But there is a surprising twist in the interval. It is not just a surprise in the plot but the entire genre of the film changes after that. 

In the second half there is more stuff and many more characters which add surprising elements. There is tragedy, horror and definitely drama. It is one of the best entertaining films in recent times. Dhananjay, Raghu Mukherjee and Parul Yadav have given wonderful performances. Parul Yadav as both the bubbly lover girl and then the scared woman is great. 

There are so many other good things in the film. Good cinematography, super songs and background music along with good acting makes Jessie a compulsive watch. Go for it.

chitraloka Rating 3.5/5

Director Yogaraj Bhat is back with yet another masterpiece, and this time he dwells upon the mindsets of two different generations - one which is full of youth but lacks maturity and other comprising the gang of senior citizens who are mischievous by nature. The value addition to it comes in the form of a care race due to which Panchatantra wins the entertaining game in the end.

This one is filled with every typical element, which the Yogaraj Bhat fans can ask for. From his typical dialogues, songs to humour and emotional content, the director has spared none to make it a complete family entertainer. Plus the adventurous race in the second half makes it a must watch film.

On the outset, it is a simple tale which is inspired from the Hare and the Tortoise story from Aesop's fable, which emphasises the value of being slow and steady in achieving one's goal. Pegged around it, Bhat's Panchatantra has two rival gangs fighting it out for supremacy. The younger lot is headed by Karthik played by Vihan Gowda and and the elderly gang headed by Raganna played by Rangayana Raghu.

With a property dispute as the epicenter, the two gang fight it out to claim the ownership of it. The escapades during the process of pulling each other's leg gives Panchatantra the much needed punch for a joyful ride. In between there is a love story of Karthik and Sahitya, the daughter of Raganna. 

When Raganna finds about his daughter's love affair, the furious clash leads to an unusual challenge. The two gang then legally agree on a car race. The one who wins the race gets the property and Karthik gets his girl too. Vihaan, Akshara, Sonal and the gang puts up a formidable performance and the Rangayana Raghu, Kari Subbu and their experienced gang are at their usual best.

V. Harikrishna scores a couple of soothing romantic song along with the unusual ones penned by the director himself.

After all the laughter ride, the second half is about the car race and how the director smartly webs the age old value and its moral lessons is the essence of it. Watch it without fail to know who wins the race in the end. 

The real life behind the reel life of one of South India's most popular adult film stars in the 90s and early 2000 - Shakeela, hits the silver screen in multiple languages, directed by Indrajit Lankesh. A star in her own right, she had ruled the soft-porn industry for over a decade but very little was known about her struggle to fame and then rags-to-riches-to-rags story.

The film Shakeela is an honest attempt to reflect the actual life of the actress through her point of view along with brilliant performances of Richa Chadha, Pankaj Tripathi, Ester Naronha and others.

Though not a look-alike of Shakeela, it is the performance of Richa playing the role of Shakeela which makes it another reason to not miss the film apart from several unknown facts about the actress.

Further, without glorifying or taking too much of cinematic liberty the filmmaker has made an honest attempt to bring the life of the adult film star on the screen. In fact, the film is projected right from Shakeela's point of view, who is shown taking a narco analysis test to reveal only the truth about her life.

The highlight of this biopic apart from Shakeela is that of actor Pankaj Tripathi, who plays the role of an actor who according to Shakeela played an important role in her life. His portrayal of a star actor is definitely one of his best in recent times. 

Not limiting to the film career, Shakeela, the film throws light on the adult film star's personal life and how she was cheated by her own closed ones which eventually led to her downfall in the film industry.

For some questions such as why Silk Smitha slapped Shakeela on a film set and then how she rose to stardom after Silk's era is neatly webbed in the film. Curious to know more about the ups and downs of adult star Shakeela? Then, go watch Indrajit Lankesh's Shakeela at a theatre near you.