Newcomer Raghu Shivamogga has come up with an amazing first film. This is a new kind of crime film in Kannada. It does not confirm to standards and sets its own bar and genre. There is an amazing yet simple story that is captured in a new style. The style combines characters and story in one graph. Different characters come together to form the story instead of the story diverging into different characters.
The film can be seen at different levels but basically is a crime story. A student who is completing his degree aspires to become a police constable. He is awaiting the letter for training. In the meantime he encounters a timber smuggling mafia in his hometown in the hills. He has the kanck of getting into trouble. It seems he will never become a cop because of the problems he gets into. The other characters include the police officer who is trying to curb the smuggling and the smugglers themselves. Then there is the girl who becomes the catalyst for the plot. The story takes a dramatic turn with the hero indulging in a daring act. This sets off a chain of events that he cannot control. He has changed the fate of everyone involved.
How this chain of events unfolds forms the rest of the story. It is not good to reveal what the basic plot is. It will undermine the curiosity when you watch it. But suffice to say that this film is not only interestingly made but it gives you enough food for thought. It is the kind of films that Kannada audience need to encourge to develop new kind of films.
The film has some very good acting by Praveen Tej, Achyuth Kumar, Manjunath Hegde and Pramod Shetty. But it is in the character of Seena that Balaji Manohar steals the show. The director's strength is in creating strong characters and all the actors have utilised the chance and made this a memorable film for themselves as well as for the audience.
It is an one-off kind of film with a unique subject and very good technical support. There is good camerawork, background score and a couple of interesting songs too. The film can be called an experiment but it is also successful.
Chitraloka Review - 4/5
