Director: Kodi Ramakrishna
Cast: Dr Vishnuvardhan (digital creation), Ramya, Diganth, Rajesh Vivek, Mukul Dev, Sadhu Kokila, Ramesh Bhat
The idea of digitally recreating a deceased person who was no less than a demigod for his die hard fans, an icon of Kannada films for almost four decades, sounds simply brilliant. Indeed a true dedication by all means. But the transformation of such an idea has to be spot on or else it could turn on the self-destruction mode. That’s exactly the case here. After getting bitten terribly by this Nagarahavu for over two plus hours, no antidote worked to overcome the poisonous experience!
The people behind the idea of making 'Nagarahavu' did everything right in the initial stage from selecting the right person to captain the ship, and reportedly even spared no cost in digitally recreating the legend. However, they entirely forgot what is most important – a decent story – which is the real essence and the base to build on with.
Even if half the attention was given towards the basics of film making, which is story, sensible dialogues, good music and even the sensible casting, this Nagarahavu would have been a decent attempt when claiming it as Dr Vishnuvardhan’s 201st film.
Kodi Ramakrishna draws inspiration from his earlier success, mostly Arundhati, by clustering the visual graphics, trying to connect it with a powerful female character and a fantasy backed with a history to it. Just like any fantasy work, Kodi too banks upon age old concept - good over evil. To reestablish the goodness, the evil reigns for a while until the good finally takes on destroying the evil.
There is complete absence of Kodi’s earlier magic and the worst part is when the audience is tirelessly kept waiting for the most talked about Dr Vishnuvardhan’s digital recreation which comes in the end. The rest is history and even the soul of Dr Vishnuvardhan would plead not to ever mention this as his last movie ever.
Without daring to talk much about the storyline of the movie and the performances, leaving it to the daring audience, who still wish to get bitten by it, this Nagarahavu is a huge disappointment. Apart from ‘nanoseconds’ of the digital creation of Sahasasimha and the pretty Ramya who looks good in her comeback avatar, there is hardly any respite in this most awaited fantasy venture.
