Film: Shiva 143
Director: Anil Kumar TM
Cast: Dheeren Ramkumar, Manvitha Kamath, Charan Raj, Shobraj, Avinash, Chikkanna
Duration: 2 hours 23 minutes
Stars: 3.5
A love story dripping in blood
Shiva 143 is an official remake of the Telugu film Rx 100. The film in Kannada is special because it launches another grandson of Dr Rajkumar, Dheeren Ramkumar as hero. He is the son of actor Ramkumar.
If you have seen Rx 100 you will know how much violence it showcases. The film is filled with bloody fights, violent scenes and killings. However at heart the story is a romance with lots of action.
The overload of carnage throughout the film numbs the extraordinary climax a bit. The ‘A’ certificate is richly deserved. Otherwise, this is an uncommon love story, the likes of which we have not seen in a long time.
Dheeren makes it a memorable debut and has good screen presence and acting prowess to last the long run. He looks like a young Raghavendra Rajkumar with a shade of Sri Murali thrown in. The genes show up.
The film starts with a vengeful Shiva (Dheeren) trying to destroy anything and everything that belongs to the local politician Narasimha (Avinash). His foster dad Appajij (Charan Raj) is a friend of Narasimha, but still has a lot of misunderstanding with him. The audiences are subject to some suspense but without revealing what it is about at all. In the middle of this, love blossoms between Shiva and Narasimha’s daughter (played by Manvitha). By the interval, you expect a regular story turn.
Even till the interval, the story holds on to a gripping narrative. Post interval the film slacks a bit but recovers brilliantly with superb plot twists. Right to the climax, the audiences are treated to unexpected changes in the story.
The presence of seasoned actors like Shobraj, Avinash and Charan Raj adds additional credibility to the narration. Nonetheless, the two main actors; Dheeren and Manvitha ably carry the special story without a glitch. Kudos to Manvitha for handling this role like a pro.
Director Anil Kumar has handled the technical aspects of the film commendably. There isn’t much to complain about. His job was to redo an existing product which he does without a hitch. Providing a little more pauses to emotional scenes may have made them more effective.
Shiva 143 will surely win the hearts of those who expect the unexpected. But be warned of the blood fest. For Kannada audience who are not familiar with Rx 100, this is a weekend treat.
