NANDEESHA
Kannada (U/A)
Director: Om Sai Prakash
Cast: Komal Kumar, Malavika, Srinivasamurthy, Ramesh Bhat and Parul Yadav
Swamake or remake–it’s a toss up between the two in Gandhinagar. With fresh talent opting for fresh and original ideas, Komal, after the super successful Govindaya Namaha had a smart opportunity on hand with Nandeesha.
Instead, like many of his colleagues, he takes refuge in a decades-old Malayalam comedy Thilakkam. For director Om Sai Prakash, it is a sort of comeback.
A couple in a village continues looking for their son Nandeesha (Komal) who was lost 18 years ago. Their efforts bear fruit when Nandeesha is found in an orphanage. The father discovers that Nandeesha has lost his memory and is prone to snatching others’ “panches” in a jiffy.
Taken back to the village, his strange habit soon causes problems. The first half of the film is spent on attempts to cure Nandeesha of his habit, with his childhood sweetheart Kavya (Malavika, in a confident debut), an ayurvedic doctor and a mantrika doing their bit.
Soon, the plot falls back on one of the time-tested cures: A few meaty blows and a sharp hit or two on the head.
Post interval, it is flashback time for Nandeesha. Turns out he is not Nandeesha but Vishnu, a TV channel owner whose love Sonia (Parul) exposes the misdeeds of a pharma tycoon. The tycoon is still after Vishnu, having disposed of his girl.
Memory restored, it’s Mission Revenge for the hero, which he does with typical aplomb (kudos K M Prakash).
The Parul-Komal “chemistry” comes unstuck, with an expressive Parul looking thoroughly non-plussed. Komal capers around in the so-called comedy scenes: neither the actor nor the viewer gets satisfaction of any sort.
Veterans Srinivasamurthy and Ramesh Bhat shoulder the entire film. Manikant Kadri’s background score is impressive. Hamsalekha’s music and lyrics are in a zone of their own. Nandeesha disappoints.