Rama Rama Tusu Daksha Vruta Jaripa - the six jumbled words, often repeated in the film, holds the key to the treasure a lot of characters in the film are hunting for, including stepbrothers Jayarama (Balaji Manohar) and Tukaram (Pramod Shetty). The stepsons of dacoit chief Rama Rama (Madhusudhan Rao), who belong to the Abhira tribe, are eyeing for the throne and they have harboured hatred for years.
It worsens when Rama Rama dies without naming the chief. Whoever finds the treasure, will be the next Abhira chief. This is the base story of Sachin Ravi’s Avane SrimannarayanaThis fantasy treasure hunt is set in a fictional town of Amaravati. The film’s title Avane Srimannarayana, inspired by a scene from Puneeth Rajkumar’s Bhakta Prahalada, and oh boy it is filled with a lot of theatre moments. Watch out for Rakshit’s mass entry scene, where he barges out of the silver screen, to whistles and hoots as Narayana, the goofy and free-spirited stylish cop, wielding his a favourite gun - named ‘Handsup’.
The film is filled with quirky and vivid characters like Narayana’s assistant and police constable Achyuthanna (Achyuth Kumar), Krishna (Rishab Shetty) from the Cow Boy club, reporter Lakshmi (Shanvi Srivastava), and bandmaster (Gopal Deshpande). It is the drama troupe and lines from their mythological play that drops clues that lead to the treasure and how Narayana cracks each of them has been written and picturised interestingly.
Sachin’s directorial venture, which has references to mythologies, gives the audience many elements to brainstorm and chew on. ASN is divided into three parts - Refusal of the call, the transformation of the goofy cop into a hero, and Narayana’s changeover into a legend. Though the performances of all the actors are great, the film is not devoid of flaws. The length - 3 hours 6 minute - is the drawback of this film. Seems like Sachin, who is also the editor of the ASN, was worried that chopping scenes would turn the film half-baked. But for the viewers, it becomes a strenuous exercise to sit through.
However, the visuals of the film, which was in the making for three years, completely justifies the duration. The efforts of the art department must be lauded for coming up with huge sets of a fictional town. The costumes - inspired by Hollywood films - also deserve a mention as a lot of detail has been put into every frame. Cinematographer Karm Chawla has done an equally impressive job with his lighting.
The universal theme of the movie will make it suitable for a pan-India audience and it is sure to work well in other languages as well. Though the film is high on action, it is balanced out by the hilarious comedy sequences, and it Rakshit’s show all the way, who makes his presence light up the screen in each frame.Rakshit, who has been part of the writing team, with seven-odd members, has brought in a lot of elements for the movie. ASN could have been a serious movie, but Rakshit as Naryana, the chilled cop, has presented his role in a fun-filled manner.
It is safe to say that the actor, known for adding his signature style to his characters, hasn’t disappointed his fans. The background score by music director Ajaneesh B Lokanath is apt and the songs composed additionally by Charan Raj doesn’t hinder the story. Rakshit along with Achyuth Kumar displays good comic timing. Thereis hardly any romance in the film, and Shanvi’s Lakshmi is not just a love interest here. She is a reporter, who is against Narayana and plays a crucial part in propelling the story forward. Shanvi’s efforts to dub for her role has indeed paid off. Balaji Manohar, the seven-foot-tall antagonist, and Pramod Shetty and a host of fresh faces are appealing.
This ‘too-long’ a film is a battle of good and evil, relevant in times of today... ASN can get interesting if you can decode Rama Rama Tusu Daksha Vruta Jaripa before Narayana reveals it. ASN has set new standards for the Kannada film industry and henceforth, the Kannada films will be valued based on the following context - Before Avane Sriman Narayana and After Sriman Narayana.
Movie: Avane Sriman Narayana Director: Sachin Ravi Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Shanvi Srivastava, Balaji Manohar, Pramod Shetty, and Acyuth Kumar Rating: 3.5/5 |