BANGALORE: There is nothing more heartwarming than watching Shivarajkumar play a coach. Sadly, there is nothing else in Aryan that leaves a lasting impression. Despite trying to produce a sports flick, the makers spend too much time on the love track.
The film opens with Aryan (Shivarajkumar) joining a sports academy as a coach. The academy is run by Surendra Patil (Raghu Mukherjee) in Singapore. The screenplay goes back and forth with Aryan reminiscing the days he spent training athletes.
Among them was Shweta (Ramya). Against the backdrop of jealousy and ambition, Shweta wins a gold medal in a major event, but is soon caught up in a doping scandal and gets banned for two years. She points a finger at Aryan and the duo part ways.
The twist comes when Aryan meets Shweta in Singapore after four years and this time, she is a married woman and the mother of a child. Somewhere along the way, the story about sports takes a backseat in favour of love, family drama and songs.
One can see the effort made by Chi Gurudutt and Shivarajkumar to bring the film to the screens, but the product lacks Rajendra Babu’s punch. The director’s untimely death took something away from the film.
A movie with Shivarajkumar in the lead could have used a more dramatic opening. Aryan’s character becomes a tad too soft as a counterpoint to the star’s image. Aryan is definitely not a film for Shivanna’s fans.
The film has an average screenplay and an extremely slow pace. The lack of chemistry between the lead actors and their tepid romance doesn’t engross the viewers. The occasional comedy by Bullet Prakash is tasteless. While Raghu Mukherjee has clocked in more screen time, Archana Gupta, Sharath Babu and Sumithra appear in fleeting roles.
Cinematographer Chandrashekar has failed to capture the right textures for the film and Jessie Gift does not bring in any great melodies.
Verdict: Despite Shivarajkumar putting in his best efforts, the story and its treatment let the film down.
Film: Aryan
Director: Rajendra Babu
Cast: Shivarajkumar, Raghu Mukherjee, Ramya, Bullet Prakash