ULLASA UTSAHA - Kannada Film Review

DIRECTOR: Devaraja Palan

ACTORS: Ganesh, Yami Goutham, Sharan,Rangayana Raghu


A star cast in a particular brand has a great task doing movies that would appeal to his core audience. And to satisfy the paying audience beyond that fan base is much harder. Ganesh, who had run into a rough patch not so long ago has undoubtedly bounced back with a film that would add to his romantic image. This film for the record is the remake of the Telugu film Ullasanga Utsahanga.

A young girl from a dysfunctional family yearns for her childhood friend Balaji. As she grows up she believes she is in love with him though she does not meet him for years. She runs away from a wedding her stepmother arranges for her. Cut to the city, Preetham (Ganesh) a dandy and misfit in his family falls in love with her. He cannot reconcile the fact that she is in love with someone else. But he respects her decision and tries to help her find lost love. They journey together to Kolkota where Balaji is waiting for her. How this love triangle disentangles itself is shown in some sentimental, a few romantic and a couple of humorous scenes.

Ganesh is at his best in scenes where he plays the losing lover. It is one of those filmi episodes that he has made his very own. For some reason, his looks in Ullasa Utsaha are the best in any of his films. Newcomer and Mumbai import Yami Goutham looks like Haripriya. She is adequate in the role but the chemistry between the lead pair is not great. GV Prakash Kumar, a relative of AR Rehman, scores for his first Kannada film. Only a couple of songs are top class. The rest are plain.

What works for the film is the strict adherence to a well worked out storyline and the comedy situations that are worked into it. A truly enjoyable film. But be wary of Sandalwood cinema halls. Make sure the one you visit has the AC working. The 'main theatre' (a superstitious release of every Kannada film in one cinema hall in Gandhinagar) goes horribly wrong for this film. Anupama, the cinema hall running this film has only ceiling fans that suck out air and gives you a sweat shower.