Film: Samhaara
Cast: Chiranjeevi Sarja, Hariprriya, Kavya Shetty
Director: Guru Deshpande
Rating: ***
Along with many remakes in Sandalwood is Guru Deshpande’s Samhaara. But unlike others, this movie seems to have a chance to do well.
Inspired by the Tamil flick Adhe Kangal, Samhaara has every element needed to excite the audience. Though credit has to be given to the scriptwriter for the movie’s universal appeal.
Sri (Chiranjeevi Sarja) is a blind chef, running a restaurant in Mysuru. His parents and a friend Janaki (Kavya Shetty), a journalist who has known him for 10 years, are supportive.
His life changes when Nandini (Hariprriya) makes an appearance. He is charmed by her innocence and even offers to help her financially. But he meets with an accident and, in the hospital, the doctors are able to restore his vision.
His parents are happy for their son, and want him to settle down. But Sri feels guilty that he could not help Nandini when she needed him and goes in search of her. However, he decides to give up the search at one point and agrees to marry Janaki, as his parents wish him to.
When the wedding date approaches, Nandini’s father meets Sri and informs him that his daughter has been kidnapped for ransom. That’s when Sri’s journey in search of Nandini begins for which he takes help of Rajahulli (Chikkanna), a police constable. Sri’s search for Nandini, his reaction to her circumstances and his handling of the situation form the rest of the story.
Guru Deshpande does not alter the soul of the original movie and only extends the run of the remake, by 20 minutes. His talent shines through in the casting of the movie and strong dialogue delivery. The second hour of the film is definitely thrilling.
Chiranjeevi Sarja makes the right move and goes by his character and script demands. Hariprriya gets lucky with a different kind of role and she makes no mistakes. She portrays the negative character with aplomb. Kavya Shetty too does a neat job and goes along with the story. But Chikkanna, who shares a good chemistry with Chiranjeevi, is the highlight. His presence and dialogue delivery makes the film lighter as it progresses.
Fresh tunes by music director Ravi Basrur also comes with a good background score. Beauty of the seas has been captured well by cinematographer Jagadish Wali. A fresh take on an existing story, Samhaara makes for a watchable thriller.
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