What the fans asked for has been delivered by director Harsha and producer NM Kumar in Anjaniputra. The film starring Puneeth Rajkumar is one of the best films released this year in Sandalwood.  The film is a perfect mix of action, comedy, family sentiments and romance. It has everything fans ordered. 

The film starts with Puneeth playing a moneylender in a market area of the city. It is a surprisingly different role for him. A girl who he meets accidentally in a mall becomes his love. But she hurts him with her words. But soon she realities that the man she is in love with is worth more than she thought. He is not only a nice person but also from a very rich family. Flashback reveals that due to some problem of misunderstanding he has to leave his family. 

Ramya Krishnan plays Puneeth's mother. He has a big family. A villain is also in the surrounding who kills anyone for money. He is also the same person who is troubling the hero's family in the village. This pits Puneeth (Raj) against the villain. During this time Raj also saves the life of a top police officer and his wife from the hands of the villain. From this point onwards the villain and his men are trying to find Raj and kill him. When they realise that he is from the same family in the village they try to harm everyone. How does Raj save his family, his girlfriend and her family and himself? That is the story. 

The film moves from one action packed adventure to another. There is also so much of comedy and family drama. Rightly Puneeth is cast as the 'family man'. He is the perfect actor for this role. He carries off the role of a family person, lover and action hero with perfection. Rashmika Mandanna has bagged another good role. There is also a very good performance from her. 

Apart from Puneeth the other highlights of the film are the comedy scenes involving Chikkanna, Sadhu Kokila and others. The music by Ravi Basrur is top class. His BGM is also stunning. The cinematography is another high point of the film. Be it the locations in India or foreign locations, it is captured brilliantly. Everything is perfectly done in Anjaniputra. Among the actors, Ramya Krishna, Mukesh Tiwari and Vijaya Kashi make a positive impression. 

Anjaniputra is all set to become a big hit going by the way it has perfectly blended everything. Director Harsha keeps the momentum of the film going strong and never lets it slip for even a second. It is like watching a T20 match. 

Chitraloka Rating - 4/5 

Feeling bored and lazy with no plans for this weekend? Well, then simply head towards a theater near you and buy yourself a ticket for the movie 'Gubbi Mele Brahmastra'. Director Sujay Shastry's funny tale of a serious kind guarantees entertainment, making one laugh their heart out for over two and a half hours. Watching it along with family and friends can double the fun as well.

The sole agenda here is to make the audience laugh for no reason. Or even if there is a reason, the reason has no connection. Confused? Don't be as Gubbi Mele Brahmastra is churned out from several such rib tickling sequences which is bound to make the audience forget their personal worries after watch Venkata Krishna Gubbi, the protagonist played by the talented Raj B Shetty. He is on a hunt for his dream girl.

As the title suggests, it is all about how the protagonist deals with the difficult situations in his life. Here, it is about his marriage. Mr Gubbi is a well settled software engineer, and his parents are hell bent upon getting him married while his desire is to marry only after falling in love. 

After purposefully rejecting series of girls chosen by his parents, Mr. Gubbi eventually finds a lovely partner on a matrimonial site. When everything seemed perfect with even engagement being fixed, there comes a twist which will unsettle his plans for a trouble free 'love marriage'. Raj B Shetty is seriously funny combined with Pramod Shetty's performance.

It is the honest take on delivering nothing but a  pure comedy which make Gubbi Mele Brahmastra, a laughing stock, for the ones seeking nothing but comedy with nothing serious attached to it.

It is not everyday that you see an ordinary man as the protagonist in a film. It could be a cop, rowdy, gangster, techie or doctor. Even when it is a simple profession the hero ends up as a rowdy or something big. In such a scenario how about a film about a lift operator? In liftman, the leading man Sundar Raj remains a liftman all his life. He does not become a hero or do something great. But the small things he does in his simple life are what makes it a believable film.

The film is a commendable effort for the reason that it chooses such a subject. The film is about a liftman in Vidhana Soudha who is in the middle of a political storm. How can someone hardly noticed become a subject of a crisis? The story unfolds in a live TV news. Manjappa the liftman recounts his life story and the special bond he has with an IAS officer. The story culminates with Manjappa himself having an introspection whether he is as good as he makes himself out to be.

The film is narrated in a simple format without much of a grand display. Most of the film takes place in just three locations; the lift, Manjappa's house and the TV studio.

Manjappa's life is not uneventful. Though he is in a simple profession he encounters many things of the high and mighty. He knows his place and does not try to exploit them. The film shows that every life and profession is important.

Sundar Raj in his 200th film has made a wonderful performance. He makes the acting look so simple. Director Sreedhar keeps the narrative tight and makes a meaningful film. Praveen Godkindi has given good music. Liftman is a film for those looking for a message and meaningful films.

A few years ago a convicted criminal escaped from the Central Prison in Bengaluru and it sent shock waves across the city. It was no ordinary criminal. Psycho Shankar was a terror and was involved in dozens of rapes and murders. When he escaped the entire police department went into a tizzy. 

The film starts with this episode. Psycho Shankar has escaped from prison and there is trouble for everyone involved. The government wants the police to capture the escaped prisoner immediately before he creates more trouble. The police spread the net wide. But there are other people who are mysteriously behind Shankar. Shankar's friends want to help him. His enemies want to kill him. There are so many thrilling elements that are brought to the table by the director Punit Arya. 

Navarasan plays Psycho Shankar. But he does not have a single dialogue in the film. That is the method used by the director effectively. Even without a dialogue, Navarasan manages to showcase his talent. Newcomer Pranva plays a strange character along with Vijay Chendoor. It is another highlight of the film. 

Sharath Lohitashva plays the police officer Ashok Kumar who is brought to capture Shankar. Kumar would have captured the criminal once before. He has to use all his brains to capture him again. But this time, he has so many odds. Does he succeed?

The director manages to hold the interest of the audience till the very end. There is excellent camerawork that captures the beauty of Male Mahadeshwara hills and the bylines of Bengaluru. The film also has some excellent music and meaningful lyrics which add to the beauty of the film.

Psycho Shankra is one of the best films this year. Though it is an action thriller, there is no violence. There is no unnecessary killing. The director has shown sensibility in making such a film. It is good to see that even when the film is about a psycho and serial killer, there is nothing objectionable in any scene. The actors have done a great job and the film is satisfactory for the audience. 

After an impressive Churikatte, Praveen Tej is back with yet another intelligently made crime thriller. What strikes the most in 'Striker’, is the manner in which the director Pavan Trivikram has given a new spin to the crime thriller, for an edge of the seat experience.

Despite revolving around a murder and the suspense over whodunnit, the twist in the tale is a neatly webbed confusion over dream and reality take on it.

The protagonist, portrayed by Praveen suffers from a mental disorder due to which he cannot differentiate between dream and reality, and in such circumstances he gets embroiled in a murder. Is the murder real or is it a figment of imagination of the protagonist, is the surprise element which keeps the audience hooked onto right till the end.

Apart from the decent performances, Striker scores good with music. Sourav Loki, who has been making noise for his villainous avatars, delivers his best as a cop along with Dharamanna Kadur who gives the thriller the much needed humour. Shilpa Manjunath too shines bright in a pretty role. Striker is a good watch in the end which comes with an innovative touch to the set crime thriller.