Film: Jaguar
Cast: Nikhil Gowda, Deepti Sati
Director: Mahadev
Jaguar is a “near threatened” species, its numbers are declining. But to the makers of Jaguar, the animal stands for justice. Nikhil Kumar’s bilingual debut Jaguar is a revenge drama with the good beating the evil, and noticeably, the production was done with riches.
The movie has every commercial element – love, sentiments with a comedy track, glamourous songs, suspense, dance, music and a heavy dose of action stunts stitched into the plot. A script written by Vijendra Prasad comes with a mix of mass formula and is a predictable entertainer. A Mahadev has directed a story that idolises the hero and Nikhil has made a good effort with his debut.
The actor plays a dual role -- of a medical student and a masked killer. He disguises himself as a character named Jaguar, hell-bent on killing high-profile businessmen, and each time, the murder is shown live on a TV channel. By the end of the story, we are told why he does these killings and also that he will not be punished by law, because, the inspector tweets, “Justice is done”.
This is also the director’s debut and he has faithfully followed the script. Since this film is made in Kannada and Telugu, it makes sense satisfying audiences of both states and it gets all the attention for its production qualities, grandeur seen in every frame. Worth mentioning is the hero’s father and producer HD Kumaraswamy, who has not compromised in terms of quality. It is an ideal launchpad for Nikhil who has carried the film on his shoulders. Even though a debutant, he oozes confidence in every frame, be it action, dance or romantic sequences. It is a good start but this first-timer has room for improvement.
Deepti Sati makes for a pretty picture but she has nothing much to do in the film. Arya playing the heroine’s brother has played his part well. Loki gets his time in the sun, despite the large star cast. Sadhu Kokila fills in the comedy track while Aditya Menon, Sampath Kumar, Ramya Krishnan and Jagapathi Babu play their supporting roles well. Seems like Tamannaah’s special song was a last-minute thought, added as an extra dose for the glam factor.
Technically, Thaman’s music runs on formula that is required of a commercial film. Cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa seems to have had the best job on the sets, getting to picturise the best locations in colourful frames. The editor should’ve taken a little more effort in making the movie crisper. Jaguar is purely Nikhil’s film and his hardwork is evident on screen. Even though he does not come from an artistes’ family, he has moulded himself into one.