Kannada film actor Jaggesh to direct film

After nearly three decades in the Kannada Film industry, the ‘navarasa nayaka’ is keen on the ultimate job.

After 28 years as an actor, ‘Navarasa Nayaka’ Jaggesh wants to turn director. “I am tired of every other chap without the knowledge of wielding the clapboard turning director. Many come to me to narrate stories and I have to show a lot of patience to stop myself from kicking them,” the actor says.

The actor ends up narrating stories to the wannabe filmmakers who come to him. “They go back dumbstruck after listening to me. If this is the kind of preparation they come with, I see a bad situation for the industry as a whole. This is the reason I am seriously considering directing a film. I have the stories to tell and after all these years, am confident of making a good film,” he says. The recent tiff with director Guruprasad also seems to have stung Jaggesh. “Those claiming that they are responsible for all the success (of Eddelu Manjunatha) should realise that talent endures not success,” he says.

Kannada Film Review

MALE BARALI, MANJU IRALI
DIRECTOR: Vijayalakshmi Singh
ACTORS: Parvathy, Srinagara Kitty, Naga Kiran, Jai Jagadish, Mukhyamantri Chandru

Rating: **

There is a long tradition of love triangles in Indian films. An addition to this list is Vijayalakshmi Singh’s new kannada film Male Barali, Manju Irali. Most of the film is a rip-off of the decade-and a-half-old Hindi film Yeh Dillagi. It doesn’t help that the Hindi film was also a copy of an old English movie. What is new is the story told from the perspective of the leading lady, Parvathy, who does a wonderful job.

Sneha (Parvathy) is a no-nonsense girl who has her goals firmly in sight; a career that will take care of her and her father. Her father (Jai Jagadish) works on a feudal estate and has kept his daughter away in Bangalore on the orders of the owners, who do not want her influence on the estate’s heirs. Vishwas (Srinagara Kitty) and Prem (Naga Kiran) are the rich heirs who are poles apart in character. Vishwas is an introvert trying to get over his failed affair. Unfortunately, Prem’s character is not suitably developed to be understood. Sneha falls in love with Vishwas without realising that Prem loves her.

Despite opposition from the boy’s mother and the introduction of a forgotten lover, there is no doubt throughout that Sneha will eventually end up in the arms of Vishwas. The brilliant performance of Parvathy is sometimes marred by her Suhasini-like accent. Considerable care has been taken by the director to present an authentic setting for the emotional scenes which is ably aided by good camerawork. But unnecessary songs and some boring scenes slow down the pace. Only Parvathy’s performance can bring in the crowds for this film.

Related Article: MALE BARALI MANJU IRALI - Music Review Free download kannada film songs here.

It’s Gaalipata versus Moggina Manasu

Last yesr kannada superhit films Gaalipata and Moggina Manasu are competing for awards in nine of the 10 categories at the 56th Idea Filmfare Awards this year.

Two of the biggest hits of kannada cinema last year, Yograj Bhat’s Gaalipata and new director Shashank’s Moggina Manasu, are in a face-off at the 56th Idea Filmfare Awards (South) this year.

The two kannada films are in contention for awards in nine out of the 10 categories that will be announced in Hyderabad on July 31. The two films are missing only in the Best Playback Singer (Male) category. The other categories are, Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), Best Actor Support (Male), Best Actor Support (Female), Best Music Director, Best Playback Singer (Female) and Best Lyrics. Another strong contender is Mussanje Maatu, by another new director Mahesh, with nominations for eight awards.

Apart from Gaalipata and Moggina Manasu, three other kannada films, Taj Mahal, Psycho and Aramane are in the running for the Best Film award. Taj Mahal is in contention for a total of five awards, while Psycho is in contention for four. Shreya Ghosal has been nominated thrice for the Best Playback Singer (Female) twice for songs of the same film; Mussanje Maatu. In the Best Playback Singer (Male), Sonu Nigam grabs two of the five nominations.

Daisy Boppanna (Gaalipata), Radhika Pandit (Moggina Manasu), Suhasi (Haage Summane), Pooja Gandhi (Taj Mahal) and Ramya (Mussanje Maatu) are vying for the Best Actor (Female) award. In the men’s category, it is a fight between Ganesh (Gaalipata), Ajay (Taj Mahal), Upendra (Buddivantha), Yash (Moggina Manasu) and Sudeep (Mussanje Maatu).

In his debut year, Raghu Dixit is in the race for Best Music Director as well as Best Playback Singer (Male), both for the film Psycho. Mano Murthy (Moggina Manasu), Harikrishna (Gaalipata), Abhiman (Taj Mahal) and V Shridhar (Mussanje Maatu) are the other music directors nominated.

Movie Review - EDDELU MANJUNATHA

DIRECTOR: Guruprasad
ACTORS: Jaggesh,Yagna Shetty,Tabala Nani,V Manohar

Stars : ****



This new kannada film narrative that keeps you hooked, dialogues that take you from one laughing bout to another, music that refuses to fade away and excellent performances by the lead actors, make Eddelu Manjunatha, as claimed by its makers, one of Jaggesh’s best kannada film ever.

The popular devotional song on the Lord of Dharmasthala has been used as the title of this interesting kannada film. No doubt, most people are wondering if this is the first devotional/mythological film of Jaggesh. But the presence of Jaggesh himself, the self-confessed lazy actor, confirms that Eddelu Manjunatha (Wake Up Manjunatha) is a comic take on work-shy sloths.

Manjunatha aka Manja has only obsession for drink. He manages to dodge all sorts of responsibility but still manages to lead a life he alone is content with. How he does it is narrated in a series of flashbacks while he spends time locked up in a hotel room with a blind film director. The contrast between the hardworking blind director and Manja himself is subtly revealed.

Manja’s narration of his life and the incidents that appear are hilarious. Meanwhile, Manja’s wife who is looking for him rescues him and the director from the hotel. But the duo get locked up again in Manja’s 10x12 ft home. Manja’s wife makes one last attempt to get him a job, but he is as disdainful of work as ever. The last few minutes in the movie, Manja realises he has led a worthless existence.

The film is held together by the hilarious dialogues penned by Guruprasad. A few of them may seem vulgar but Jaggesh somehow manages to mouth them in a way that seems perfectly normal. Even what seems funny has a tinge of sarcastic comment on society, life and Kannada films. Tabala Nani, as the blind director, looks real and gives a commendable performance. And so does Yagna Shetty who appears without makeup throughout.

Music by Anoop Seelin is of top quality. Free download kannada film songs here. But it is a pity that two of the songs are used as bits. Even in other places a little more money could have polished the visuals. The climax is a little preachy and the film is dialogue heavy. But like other good kannada films, Eddelu Manjunatha comes back to haunt long after you have seen it. JAGGESH ROCKS !!

CHAMKAISI CHINDI UDAYSI - Movie Review

DIRECTOR: AR Babu
ACTORS: Komal Kumar, Nidhi Subbaiah, Kiran, Sharan, Umashree, Shobaraj

Here is one more reason why dubbing should be allowed in Kannada. Chamkaisi Chindi Udyasi is a hotchpotch of various Hindi and English films garnished with stale jokes. To make matters worse there are very few scenes that evoke laughter in this film that was alleged to be a comedy by its makers. A R Babu who has made many low budget comedies, that nonetheless tickled the funny bone, makes a costly joke here but fails.

There is the age old plot of a villain gang searching for their lost booty of diamonds which is in the possession of the lead actress without her knowledge. A group of losers led by ‘Bottu’ Seena (Komal) try to win the girl while the real lover played by Kiran grubs and plods along. After a series of unrelated running-around-trees scenes in Malaysia, Kiran gets the girl, the villains die and Seena and gang get the diamonds.

Komal garners a lion’s share of the onscreen time and thereby the development of other characters is curtailed, many being without a beginning or an end. The film never rises above the ordinary and as it makes way towards the climax you have more or less lost interest in the proceedings. Two lessons learnt from this film; one if you remake a film, copy just one film. Second, better dub the original in Kannada. Of the many things you do not like in the film, is the saddening sight of an actor like Sudarshan cast in a role of a man infected by a rabid dog. Free download kannada film songs here.

Kabaddi - Movie Review

Rating: ****
DIRECTOR: Narendra Babu
ACTORS: Praveen, Priyanka Naidu, Kishore, Dharma

Three good things have happened to Kannada film industry with Kabaddi.
One is the arrival of a promising new director.
Second, a natural actor in Praveen has been found and
Third, a brilliant dialogue writer has been discovered in Hoo Pattanashetty.

Kabaddi is one of the best films to have hit the Kannada screen in the recent past. Surprisingly, for most of the cast and the director, it is their first film. It goes to prove that young blood does effect change. There is hardly anything in the film that feels jaded. From the visuals to the dialogues, there is a charm that creates movie magic. Long after watching it, the images, words and situations linger. After a long time (Navatare was the last) there is a film in Kannada that has sports as its theme. When that game is so native, the film too feels close to the heart.

The story is about the trials of a wannabe kabaddi player (Praveen as Praveena) and a coach (Kishore) who dedicates his life to building a winning team. In between there is power politics that determines who remains in the team and who does not. A love affair that faces hurdles because of the game runs through the plot. Praveena loses his chance to represent the country owing to an injury. But in the end he has to get back to the game to win the girl he loves. You know he will eventually win, but that does not dull your anticipation of what comes next. Director Narendra Babu (not the namesake who made Palakki and Yuvah) in his very first film has shown tremendous effort in narrating a plot with characters that are so believable.

The best part of the film are the dialogues. Hoo Pattanashetty (one more newcomer) tells it as it is. The two dialects of Mandya and north Karnataka are both impressive. When Praveen, Dharma and the others mouth them, they do not seem like actors but real people picked out of a crowd in a Mandya village. Though the camerawork is good, there is noticeable difference in some of the scenes and songs. Free download kannada film songs here. No doubt five cameramen were used for different parts of the film. Watch the film and feel it grow on you.