Anjada GanduLang: Kannada (UA) **Director: Pradeep RajCast: Satish Ninasam, Subiksha, Nagabharana, Chikkanna, Raju Thalikoe, Honnavalli Krishna, Suman
The much-lauded Pavan Kumar’s Lucia launched him into the regal realm of starry firmament. His hyper-hallucinating love-struck Nikki as torch- wielding usherer at a single theatre in last throes and celluloid star besotted with his co-star saw Satish Ninasam with his modulated acting and staccato dialogue delivery, catching audiences’ fancy.
Cashing in on Satish’s fame to court box-office success is director Pradeep Raj who helms Anjada Gandu, which incidentally takes its title from Ravichandran's film of yesteryear.
Whether Satish will find adulation in his second sally as the prime protagonist playing love-sick villager Santhu besotted by belle Geetha is a moot point. Anjada Gandu, a carbon copy of Tamil flick Manam Kothi Paravai, is sure to have tough times at turnstiles in drawing audiences in droves.
Eschewing much of mindless and gory violence and parodying some of the familiar tricks of the trade, Anjada Gandu seeks to indulge audiences in mirthful, rustic rom-com with liberal dose of crony comedy and risque romps. How our Santhu lies to convince his hangers-on that his dainty neighbour reciprocates his attentions and tries to court unrelenting Geetha into accepting his amorous overtures forms the fulcrum of Anjada Gandu. How, Geetha is whisked away on the eve of here matrimony to another, leading to proverbial twists and turns and loud posturings by offended parties, before tame denouement forms the rest of the insufferable plotline.
Actually, Pradeep Raj had a winner in the way his Geetha has been etched. But trust our directors to see reason in chiselling convincing heroine- oriented film. Hence, Geetha’s positives are lost in labyrinthine narrative that unfolds with emphasis on antics of Santhu and Co. Satish is stereotypical in his mannerisms given his Mandya lingo, Subhiksha, playing second fiddle, is convincing in her understated role, while a cantankerous chatterbox Chikkanna, with loony lingo, shatters eardrums with his constant diarrheic dialogues. Rest though add to high-decibel drama. Suffice to say Anjada Gandu is no music to the ears or soothing sight for sore eyes.