Monday Nov 10 2008, Bangalore

'Navagraha' is nothing but 'Kaante'

Directed by - Dinakar Toogudeepa

Produced by - Meena Thoogudeepa

Music by - Harikrishna

Casts - Vinod Prabhakar, Nagendra Urs, Giri Dinesh, Tarun Sudheer, Srujan Lokesh and Dharma Keerthi

Starring - Darshan Thoogudeepa, Sharmila Mandre and Varsha

First things first! Kudos to Darshan for accepting a role which has plenty of negative shades, though he is the most popular hero in Sandalwood. And congrats to his brother and director Dinakar too for assembling seven sons of the leading villains of the Kannada film industry (including his elder brother Darshan) to make a thriller that is quite different from his previous film and also much different from films released in recent times.

Well, that's how this week's release 'Navagraha' stands apart from the films coming of late. Though this kind of a film is very new to Kannada cinema, you will definitely be disappointed if you know that the film is nothing but a 'Reservoir Dogs' or a 'Kaante' of the Kannada cinema.

'Navagraha' tells what all happens when a team of nine, headed by a dacoit Jaggu (Darshan) sets off to steal the 800 Kg Golden Ambaari (Howdah used for the Dussehra Procession in Mysore). They execute a finely designed plan to steal the Howdah. They succeed in their plan and meanwhile the chief security officer who is in charge of the security comes to know of the theft and starts investigating. Whether or not the Navagrahas really succeed in dispatching the Howdah forms the rest of the film.

As told earlier, 'Navagraha' is definitely a different film as far as Kannada cinema is concerned. But a very bad script and weak narration hinders the film's prospects of being a winner. Though there are some finer points like Krishna Kumar's camera work, Harikrishna's songs, the back-ground score and the climax fight sequence, it is all diluted by a lengthy first half. But still the second half of the film makes you sit attentive and watch at the seat's edge. If Dinakar would have worked more on the thrilling aspects, the film would have been a better one.

Darshan may be disappointing his fans, as he has done an out and out negative character for the first time in his career spanning 30 films. He must be also appreciated for letting the other not so well known heroes like Vinod Prabhakar, Srujan Lokesh, Nagendra Urs, Dharma Keerthi, Giri Dinesh and Tarun Sudhir to take the limelight. Among the heroines, it is Sharmila who impresses in her brief role.

Watch it once. You won't be disappointed.