Film: Ayogya
Cast: Sathish Ninasam, Rachita Ram, Shivaraj KR Pete, Giri, Ravi Shankar, Aruna Balraj, Sunder Raj and Tabla Nani
Director: Mahesh Kumar
Debutant writer and director Mahesh Kumar’s romantic comedy, Ayogya, easily reassures that any well-balanced approach towards laughter and love, with a tinge of seriousness, cannot disappoint. The film effortlessly makes us believe that youth have not forgotten to love and laugh, and when time comes, to take up responsibilities.
Considering the director’s noble intentions to explore Panchayat politics of an underdeveloped village, he should be given full marks for successfully managing to connect the audience with the subject, and the result is a thorough entertainer on screen.
The film runs in two parallel stories. Siddhegowda (Sathish Ninasam) from a village called Maragowdanahalli is considered a ‘misfit’. A free-spirited, unemployed youth, he loves to undertake small social service without any reward. But his mother (Aruna Balraj), still searches for a bride for her son, and seeks help of a marriage broker (Sunder Raj). But Siddegowda is rejected by every prospective girls’ parents.
An interesting twist comes when he falls in love with the marriage broker’s daughter, Nandini (Rachita Ram). To woo the girl, he takes the help of her father, who gives tips to go about romancing the girl, unaware that it is his own daughter that Siddhegowda is trying please. Running in parallel, is a story of Siddhegowda’s childhood ambition to stand for the panchayat President’s elections, where he is contesting opposite senior member, Bacche Gowda (Ravi Shankar), a long standing president of the village.
The challenges he faces to contend his senior, and the risks he deals with, takes us through the story. On an off, his romantic pursuits are brought in. But what takes his direction a notch higher, is the well-stitched plot of rural politics, which keeps the anxiety levels high. Of course, there are shortcomings, but his narrative manages to pull off an engaging entertainer.
As for Sathish Ninasam, he has pulled off the character with maturity, and has intelligently brought the two shades of a misfit and a responsible citizen. He is well supported by Shivaraj KR Pete and Giri. Rachita Ram as a village girl has done justice to her character. However, the film had scope for a longer screen space for the talented actor. Kudos to actor Ravi Shankar, who despite his seniority, has just gone by the story, proving that he is a fine actor. Sunder Raj, Aruna Balraj and Tabla Nani justify their presence.
With apt dialogues by Maasti and Sharath Chakravarthy , Arjun Janya’s excellent melodies (Yennami Yennami ruling the charts), Preeth’s cinematography with use of natural lights and the green backdrop, Ayogya is a winner. But, the edit desk needs to be pulled up for an average job. Overall, with a rural backdrop that brings freshness, Ayogya is engaging, and keeps the audience in good spirits throughout.