Dhananjay enjoys experimenting with his films, and he doesn’t shy away from risking his mass image too. Unlike the successful Raate, Once Upon a Time in Jamaligudda seems to be quite the miscalculation. The Kushal Gowda film screams for the want of a narrative but fails miserably. What it does positively for Dhananjay is to provide him with the ability to showcase a spark of his magic.
The film set sometime in the 1990s tells the tale of two criminals in jail, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Their mutual understanding helps them escape. Accidently, they find a young handicapped girl Chukki, who creates differences between them, leading the two to face some harsh consequences, which is one part of the story. The reason for Hiroshima’s imprisonment is brought out in the second half when as a bar supplier he falls for a spa masseuse, which changes the course of his life.
Will Hiroshima be able to reunite with his love, change his image and get back with Nagasaki, makes for the rest of the story? To give credit where it’s due, the beautiful locales of Bababudangiri hills are elegantly captured by cinematographer Karthik. Kushal Gowda tries to stick with a simple plot, giving a sneak peek into occasional emotional situations, but doesn’t give enough insight into any individual characters.
While a couple of sequences go over the top, there are certain scenes which confuse the viewer. A considerably tighter script and well-thought-out, as well as provocative episodes, could have given the story of Jamaligudda a slight but much-needed revival. The first half is ordinary, and the second half tests the audience’s patience. Kushal will need a lot of improvisation on the story table and his execution in the near future.
As Hiroshima, Dhananjay definitely takes up an experimental role, but pulls it off convincingly. Another highlight is Yash Shetty as Nagasaki. He is playful and one can see him in a different role from his previous film.
Aditi Prabhudeva does not get much scope for performance, but she justifies her character. The director could have made use of actor Prakash Belawadi in a better way while Nandagopal and Bhavana do not have much scope.
While a couple of songs by composer Arjun Janya work in favour of the film, Anoop Seelin’s background score does not add much weight to the story. Editor Harish Komme could have made it sharp at the edit table.
If you are a fan of love and crime genres, and a Dhananjay fan, Once Upon a Time in Jamaligudda might just be an okayish watch at best.
Once upon a time in Jamaligudda
Director: Kushal Gowda
Cast: Dhananjay, Aditi Prabhudeva, Bhavana, and Prakash Belawadi
Rating: 3/5