Set in a village in Nanjangud, the film Huchudugaru (meaning ‘Mad boys’) revolves around the lives of Shiva (Chetan Chandra), Madesh (Amith Vishwanath), Shankara (Deva) and Nanjunda (Prathap Raj) - four guys who are neglected by their families. Circumstances lead to the youths heading to Bangalore and locking horns with Mari Gowda (Ravi Shankar), a politician who is busy campaigning for elections.
Adding flavour to the otherwise male-dominated script is Parvathi (Adithi Rao), who takes the journey along with the guys.
Shiva ends up falling for Parvathi, and gets upset when he learns that there is somebody else in her life. The lives of the boys start going downhill the moment they enter Bangalore and all they see is a bleak future ahead.
RJ Pradeep’s directorial debut, which is filled with love, comedy, drama and action, ends up being a youth-oriented tearjerker that is just about perceptive enough to transcend the genre.
The first-time director tries to unfold the plot with inexorable logic, but lets it become too schematic to be real. The scathing condemnation of a politician is full of stumbles and rife with misfires.
Originally set to be a musical journey filled with love, the movie becomes pointlessly violent in the end. While all the actors have done a decent job, Chetan Chandra scores for his characterisation of a romantic hero. Adithi Rao has justified her role in the film.
Ravi Shankar steals the show with his loathsome looks and punchlines, while other actors like Avinash, Dathanna, Biradar and Tabala Naani do not have much scope to perform. It is Joshua Sridhar’s music that eases the flow of the movie throughout. The melodies set in the village locales are a treat. However, the picture fails to score in terms of cinematography and editing.
Verdict: Huchudugaru is full of potential, but fails to utilise it.
Film: Huchudugaru (Kannada)
Director: RJ Pradeep
Cast: Chetan Chandra, Amith Vishwanath, Deva, Prathap Raj, Adithi Rao, Ravi Shankar