Director Chethan Kumar is a firm believer in commercial cinema, and he sticks to his strengths in his third outing as well Catering to popular tastes, Bharaate brings across Chethan’s brand, and sees Sriimurali subliminally pushing his image in a movie with lots of sound and action.
Throughout the love-revenge drama, you get to hear the shloka, Om Trayambakam Yajamahe, Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanam, right from the time it plays in the background for Jaganmohan’s (Sriimurali) introduction. A part-time guide living in Jodhpur, he comes from a family that has been practising Ayurveda for centuries.
He leads an ordinary life with his parents (Sumanth and Tara). When he turns 27, he pays a visit to Durgapura with his mother to offer prayers on the instructions of an astrologer, ostensibly to ward off evil. At Durgapura, Jaganmohan finds out the truth about his roots and where he comes from. Around the same time, he fancies Radha (Sreeleela), who hails from a royal family.
While Radha reciprocates his feelings, she is also worried about him getting caught in the clutches of her grandfather and brothers who are particular about deciding who her partner would be. Jaganmohan then sets across to win her over and convince her family, and this brings us to the crux of the movie.
Sriimurali takes on a dual role for the first time in Bharaate, which has an elaborate storyline garnished with vibrant colours. Along the course of the movie, topics like the significance of Ayurveda and local history and a subtle reference to local politics are slipped into the backdrop of the fast-paced action.
By setting the film against a royal backdrop, the director ensures a lot of space for macho scenes, interspersed with family sentiments and human emotions. The hero, a firm believer in Buddhism, fights with no weapons against a plethora of enemies sporting guns and machetes. Lines of Buddha’s preachings are brought into the movie with symbolic representations of various deities.
Chethan’s spin on the classic revenge saga comprises a huge star cast, and there are several familiar faces in the movie, including the three brothers - Sai Kumar, Ravi Shankar and Ayyappa Sharma coming in one frame. However, too many characters and subplots make it a tough watch for the audience.
For Sriimurali, however, it is a tailor-made role, which puts him on centre stage and gives him some cracking dialogues. His macho look comes across in style, as he romances the girl of his dreams, dances and also ends up becoming a saviour to many. Present in almost every frame, he also plays the role of the grandfather. Giri, Alok / All Ok and Sadhu Kokila deliver the comic element to the movie.
This is Sreeleela’s second film, and she seems to be getting comfortable with being in front of the camera, and delivers what the role demands.
With Arjun Janya scoring the music and Girish R Gowda as the cameraman, the potboiler seems to be headed towards making the right kind of sounds at the box office.
Film: Bharaate Director: Chethan Kumar Cast: Sriimurali, Sreeleela, Sai Kumar, Ravi Shankar Ayyappa Shama and Tara Rating: 3/5 |