Movie: Love in Mandya
Cast: Ninasam Sathish and Sindhu Loknath
Director: Arasu Anthare
Love in Mandya comes in the wake of commercial potboilers like Belli and Ambareesha and feels like a breath of fresh air. Lyricist-turned-director Arasu Anthare canvases a delightful rural romance set in Mandya which also has a social
context.
Although the plot offers nothing different with the story revolving around cable operator Karna (Ninasam Sathish) and a young girl called Sushma (Sindhu Loknath) and the sweet romance that transpires. The film is split into two neat parts, Karna is an orphan who is brought up by the owner of the cable company. He falls for Sushma (Sindhu Loknath) who lives in the neighbourhood.
Cable Shile (Manjunath aka Moote Manja) a sidekick and a close friend of Karna helps him win over Susu or Sushma. While this forms the first half, the second part starts with an interesting twist at the interval when Karna and Susu elope after getting married in order to avoid family conflicts. They land up in Hosur where they face hurdles at every step. It is here that Karna falls into a patch of bad luck and ends up in a situation where he has to deal with a few gangsters. Will the couple be able to live a peaceful life or be forced to return to their hometown? This forms the rest of the story with a climax that springs a surprise to the audience.
Arasu in his very first debut feature has moved away from urban situations and city-bred characters, portraying the rural space in a convincing manner. He has added dimensions to his film with real locations and the actors have also etched out their parts naturally. Arasu’s smooth screenplay throws a lot of things at the viewers but never repeats plot points. He gradually reveals the story through a simple narration. Love in Mandya works best in its early portions because it mostly runs on humour.
Even the double entendre dialogues are not as silly like in most other Kannada films. Dialogues told in the Mandya dialect is another attraction for the audience.
Love in Mandya has all the masala cliches but they are pulled off sharply. While comedy sequences make you laugh, there are scenes that also carry a sentimental quotient well. That's when Manjunath, comes into the limelight. He is often seen as a comic relief in films. This role, however, brings a sense of refreshment with no false notes, which work well with the audience.
Satish as a romantic hero essays his part with charming naturalness. His mischievous behaviour blends well with Sindhu Lokanth's enchanting presence. The chemistry between the two works well with their gestures and looks. Dazzling with his humourous, angry and romantic turns, Satish has given one of his best performances till date.
Sindhu conveys most of her feelings through her expressive eyes. The simple romance between Sathish and Sindhu is laced with warmth and care.
Jnanamurthy's cinematography suits the theme of Love in Mandya while Anoop's music is another highlight of the film with quite a few tracks remaining with you long after the film is done. A spicy number Currentu Hodha Timealli is already a popular chartbuster.
The film will certainly work well among the family audience.