Kirik Party
Kannada (U) Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Rashmika Mandanna, Samyuktha Hegde, Achyut Kumar
Director: Rishab Shetty
Written by Rakshit Shetty and directed by Rishab Shetty, Kirik Party is a cacophonous campus tale spotlighting on the less appreciable aspects of students’ life. The bitter senior-junior rivalry, struggle for hegemony among feuding factions and stalking girls form its kernel. Everything else is anathema in Kirik Party.
Within this canvas set in Hassan, Rishab Shetty plays to the gallery, weaving two campus romances of antithetical dimensions portrayed in two halves. What is infuriating is that Rishab Shetty Rishab believes bunking classes, copying in exams, throwing tantrums at teachers and principal, whistling and wolfing at campus girls, invading hostels and downing pegs are meatier than the realistic depiction of what constitutes a student’s life.
Needless to say, the teen crowd brings the house down, as Rakshit Shetty and his cronies go about executing Rishab’s familiar take on campus life.
What actually ensures that one does not give up on Kirik Party is the brilliant acting of Rashmika Mandanna and Samyuktha Hegde. If Rashmika — as the stern, studious, bespectacled Saanvi — is a treat to watch with her standoffish mien, Samyuktha Hegde — as the vivacious, carefree Arya — is equally endearing.
In the first half, Rakshit falls for Saanvi while in the second half, a besotted Arya swoons over him. Sadly, despite his own story, Rakshit never rises above his caricature of a student leader Karna, who has a bunch of bullies as loyal friends, whose mission in life is to make life miserable for all around and set the campus literally on fire.
Rakshit has never been impressive after his Ulidavaru Kandante role.
While the two cupid tales are engaging thanks to Rashmika and Samyuktha, it is the campus life that comes a cropper. What makes Kirik Party also endurable is the soothing score by B Ajaneesh Loknath, each song done soulfully.