Kannada cinema seems to be truly breaking free of the shackles of formulaic, monotonous, crass fare. Inti Ninna Preethiya shows that Duniya was no flash in the pan. A tale of a man losing everything that he loves to find redemption in the end may not exactly appeal in these times. Certainly not when endless scenes of shameless drunken orgies dominate the film. However, Suri’s crisp dialogues, slick narration and superlative performances help the film rise above the ordinary.
Almost an autobiographical take, Inti Ninna Preethiya doesn’t disappoint the viewer for the whole of the first half. The story moves forward with just the right amount of speed, raising expectations for the second half. But, the second half slows down to a jarring halt while the director examines his feelings, beliefs and vision about this particular theme. Barring this aberration, the film smoothly chugs along towards its end. Sadly, the brakes applied earlier somewhat dilutes the impact of the climax.
Mention must be made of acting, music and cinematography. Krishna or Srinagara Kitti, as he is known among friends, finally breaks free of all set ideas of image and delivers a refreshingly natural and effortless performance. Bhavana, in her disappointingly small role, reminds one and all, of the talent powerhouse that she is. Though a tad overweight, her mature sensuality combined with a restrained performance, makes her a delight to watch. Juniormost among the three, Sonu is a fine choice by the director. She puts in a spunky performance in the first half, but inexperience lets her down in key scenes. Then there is Rangayana Raghu. The man is a gem of an actor. After a spate of meaningless, idiotic roles, he comes up with Naay Seenappa, a mute Good Samaritan; the scenes involving him and Arundhati Jathkar (another underused, underrated actress) is a fine example of an intelligent director extracting the best from his talented actor.
Saadhu Kokila shows his expertise, both in composing and lifting tunes. Luckily, the compositions give impetus to the story as they are expected to. The Suri and Sathya Hegde combo makes each frame appealing and intriguing. The director’s ideas are translated pretty well here. But was it necessary to show all those drinking binges to drive home the point? In fact, it is this ‘spirited’ exhibition that spoils the climax and precisely why the character of Rajiv fails to evoke sympathy.
But times, they are changing.
