The popular folk tale of the hare and tortoise race is brought into a modern day context in Yogaraj Bhat’s Panchatantra. A simple thought profoundly put across through a complicated journey, the film has two groups —young and old — entangled in different kinds of struggles. But who will win this race?
The story in a nutshell: A property dispute between old men and youngsters, who are basically car mechanic, have a garage running under the name ‘Bond’.
A racing competition will decide the ownership of the plot that puts the senior men and high-spirited youngsters in opposite camps. In parallel runs the romance between Karthik (Vihan) and Sahitya (Sonal Monteiro), who are childhood friends, but later develop feelings for each other. A moment of romance between the two, put them in a spot, and doesn’t go with Sahitya’s father (Rangayana Raghu). This puts the daughter in a fix, having to choose between two valued relationships.
With Panchatantra, Bhatru comes up with a well-crafted story, very unlike from the director’s previous films. A movie that is close to reality has a perfect casting. A more or less busy plot with too many characters, with constant action, fuelled with lots of humour, keeps the second half at top gear. The latter part of the film is adventure non stop. While the race keeps the audience on the edge, somewhere along the way, the journey takes us on an emotional drive.
Every actor, including the lead pairs, have justified their respective characters. Vihan and Sonal Monteiro share a good on-screen chemistry, and together look pleasant. Cars plays an important role and the invigorating race keeps the audience in high spirits. Along with them is a host of actors, including Rangayana Raghu, Kari Subbu, Deepak Shetty, Bala Rajwadi, Kanthraj Kaddipudi, Nandu, Sagar, Azhar, Aditya Dilip, Sakshi, Apoorva, and Kavitha whose presence keeps you entertained.
The background score by Harikrishna goes well with the race theme of the story. Another highlight of Panchatntra are its songs, with every track placed meaningfully. Among the songs, Srugarada Hongemara tops the charts. Cinematographer Sugnaan maps out a visual landscape, perfectly capturing the speed on mud roads and long stretches. Panchatantra is about two different generations going on an emotional drive. You too can hop on to this drive.
Cast: Vihan, Sonal Monteiro, Rangayana Raghu, Kari Subbu, Raja Balwadi and Deepak Shetty
Director: Yogaraj Bhat