Perfect remake, nice timing

A perfect remake of the Tamil flick with a perfect release date. Sundarapandian as Raja Hulli in Kannada version has it all.

The film is cleverly scripted, beautifully shot - good use of locations of Mandya which should appeal to native audiences. Raja Hulli is a love story that blends  in plenty of comedy. The movie starts off with a song on Karnataka that won over the first day first show audiences as Friday was Karnataka Rajyotsava.

Back to the film, the plot in the first tests how far would one go for a friend. Raja aka Raja Hulli (Yash) is the son of a rich landlord (Charan Raj) from Arakere. A happy-go-lucky guy, Raja spends most of his time with his friends and makes sure he is there for them anytime. Like when his friend Moni is in love with Cauvery (Meghana Raj), Raja's ex-flame,  but is not able to express his feelings. Raja steps in to help. Instead Cauvery falls for Raja again. He is now in a dilemma whether to express his own love for Cauvery or give it up for his friend.

Trouble begins when a murder takes place and the blame falls on Raja. Why Raja goes behind bars and what does he choose, love or friendship, forms the climax of this film, which is shown with major twists and turns in the second half. 

Given that director Guru Deshpande has followed the original in terms of screenplay and narration, there's not much to credit him with. Though the emotions are big, the performances are so well nuanced that sentiment never overwhelms the story's emotional realism. 

Once again, Yash carries off his trademark role of a romantic hero.

This being Meghana Raj's comeback vehicle in Kannada, she has perfectly matched Yash in her acting skills. The two look charming together on screen.

But the highlight of the film is the comedy which runs through out the film. Hamsalekha adds some above-average melody. Cinematographer K M Vishuvardhana has captured the some lovely village scenes..

There are some dull moments too in the first half which seem repetitive. The edit desk should have taken the effort not to repeat the mistakes of the original.

The Verdict: A film to be watched with friends and family.

Flim: Raja Hulli

Cast: Yash, Meghana Raj, Charan Raj, Chikkanna, Harsha

Directer: Guru Deshpande

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com