A still from Shokiwala
With Shokiwala, debutant director Jocky tries to deliver a rural entertainer but is brought down by an outdated subject. While Shokiwala does follow the template seen in films like Kiraataka, Adyaksha, or Ayogya, the lack of freshness in the narrative is the biggest drawback of this Jocky directorial.
Set in Mandya, Shokiwala is about the protagonist, Krishna (Ajay Rao), who is absconding. His parents, who find his bloodstained shirt, reach the police station, and in a flashback, narrate his life. Krishna, popularly called Shokiwala Krishna, enjoys being the ladies’ man in the village, and is a perennial headache for the girls’ parents and elders. He finally finds his one true love in Radha (Sanjana Anand). But then the narrative turns into a murder drama with the parents of Krishna and Radha mourning their children’s deaths. The rest of the story unfolds as the parents and the police get to the bottom of things.
Shokiwala is a predictable breezy entertainer with a not-so-serious revenge drama at the centre of things. However, the director’s inability to be in sync with the times to give a decent mass entertainer, albeit formulaic, exhibits a lack of flair. The main plot, which lacks the thriller element, is quite a dampener.
For the versatile Ajay Rao, this is his first attempt at comedy, but he fails to pick a strong script. Except for a couple of scenes with his friends, the film doesn’t really work on the humour front either. Sanjana Anand charms her way through the film, which also has the likes of Aruna Balraj, Giri, Sharath Lohitashwa, Satya, Pramod Shetty and Tabla Nani doing their parts well in the film.With a strong local flavour, Shokiwala just turns out to be a passable entertainer that misses out on fulfilling its potential.
Shokiwala
Cast: Ajay Rao, Sanjana Anand, Pramod Shetty, Sharat Lohitashwa, and Aruna Balraj
Director: Jocky
