Sometimes, a film can reflect ingenuity even in an effort overburdened by ignorance. Arjuna is just such a film which attempts to portray social and political realities in a dramatic showcase, peppered with mystery and action while miscalculating the proportions of emotion and love.
Though the hype was heightened when director P C Shekar decided to bring father-son duo Devaraj and Prajwal together for the first time, there is consolation for the makers. They have at least tried to recreate an old genre, retelling a familiar story of good and evil in a fresh new format. Whether it will click with the audience remains to be seen.
The film revolves around Arjuna (Prajwal Devaraj) who is an orphan and working in a government office. Circumstances force him to get involved in a murder case. Enter Verma (Devaraj), a police officer who is in charge of investigating the case which involves a police officer, a local corporator apart from Arjuna.
Whether Verma will be successful in finding the real truth and how he unfolds the mystery and handles the case is the crux of the film, which runs for 104 minutes.
Though Shekar has handled the mystery plot well, with the film sailing through at an acceptable pace, he falters when it comes to adding elements of emotion and thus lending the blend an ordinary touch. The realistic touch cannot be ignored, but integration of a few scenes for cinematic purposes fails to add strength to an otherwise decent script.
Devaraj’s performance stands out, andPrajwal’s attempt to combine temperament and masculinity seems to fairly succeed. His performance clearly indicates that he has the potential to be a star, given a little more time. Bhama as Priya is bubbly and adds meaning to the story and so do actors like Sheetal Shetty, Ramesh Bhat and Rajashekar Naidu.
Kaddipudi Chandru’s villainous role could have been stitched better and his experiment with comedy seems unsuccessful. Ravi Verma justifies his job as the action choreographer while cinematographer Kumaran’s picturisation could have been more slick. The soundtrack and theme by Arjun Janya is commendable. If you enjoy films with a streak of mystery, Arjuna is a one time watch for the father-son act.