Hero tarana? chance ella, no way... naan hero ne.. (I am not like a hero, I am a hero) Amar nahi, Amarnath bolo, (Don’t call me Amar, call me Amarnath)... These are a few punchlines that Abhishek delivers in his debut movie. The dialogues are, of course, of Ambareesh, suitably modified for the son, who dreams of following in his father’s footsteps.With a traditional hero-type look, the right attitude and an appealing personality, Abhishek comes across as someone who cannot help but be successful. But will these traits help him meet the expectations of the public and his father’s fans?
In the movie Amar, a romantic drama set in India and Switzerland, director Nagshekar, who has always added his personal stamp to his love stories, has achieved a rich look with the visuals, landscapes and the locales. The movie’s musical score features Abhishek and Tanya Hope in the limelight, and the film has necessary commercial ingredients, interspersed with a couple of apt messages placed at intervals.
Amar is known as the Kaliuugada Karna, and is known to keep promises; but this reputation also puts him in difficult situations. While leading a lavish life, Amar is not happy at heart. This worries his mother (Sudharani). A mischief-filled message, from his friend Chikku (Chikkanna) from Switzerland, comes as a shock to Amar, and the movie goes into flashback. Amar and Bobby, when in college, cannot stand each other, until a trip taken for a social cause brings them close. Here Bobby (Tanya) puts Amar to a test, which he successfully passes and their love blossoms.
Later, untoward incidents distance Amar from Bobby, and she is engaged to a billionaire’s (played by Darshan) brother played by Nirup Bhandari.Cut to the second half. Amar is in shock to learn from his friend Chikku that a look alike of Bobby is residing in Switzerland. She is Sister Lisa, a nun teaching at a school. Are Bobby and Sister Lisa the same person? This confuses Amar. The rest of the movie revolves around whether Amar, with the help of his uncle (Sadhu Kokila), can find clarity in love, and in life. The climax sees a happy ending, and also ends on an emotional note with Ambareesh appearing in the last shot.
In the film— which belongs to the two leads, Abhishek and Tanya — director Nagshekar has pushed himself to come up with a different kind of a love story. His effort in handling the newbies is evident. The film’s story is threaded with commercial scenes, but the love story is slow, with unnecessary sub plots. It is the spectacular shots captured by cinematographer Satya Hegde, and the soothing music scored by Arjun Janya — especially the song (Marethu hodeya nanneya hajari) — that take the film along.
Abhishek has all the qualities of a hero. Having taken a big chunk of responsibility in his very first film, the actor carries a confident look, especially with his style, voice and behaviour. Good with action, his charm is reminiscent of his father. He has potential, and all he needs is consistency which will probably take him a long way.
Tanya has a good screen presence, changing between two shades as a glamorous and simple girl. This has given her scope to perform. As for the rest of the actors — Darshan is in a pivotal role; Devaraj, Sudharani, Deepak Shetty — provide the much-needed support to the film. Sadhu Kokila, Chikkanna fill the humorous bit, with Nirup Bhandari and Rachita Ram seen in blink-and-miss roles.
With Abhishek’s filmy background, expectations are more than normal. Amar can be looked as Abhishek’s launch vehicle. He needs to get a little more polished, which will probably come with experience. The actor is sure to become into a good performer, being able to fill his father’s shoes.
Cast: Abhishek, Tanya Hope, Chikkanna, Sadhu Kokila, Devaraj
Director: Nagshekar