Hondisi Bareyiri review: A coming-of-age drama worth watching

Hondisi Bareyiri

Kannada (Theatres)

Director: Ramenahalli Jagannatha

Cast: Praveen Tej, Samyuktha Hornad, Bhavana Rao, Naveen Shankar, Aishani Shetty

Rating: 3/5

Hondisi Bareyiri’’s backstory is set in simpler times. Youngsters connect on Orkut and go on dates on a Kinetic Honda. The film’s first half is about a bunch of college students living what is perhaps the best phase of their lives.

To suit the plot’s timeline, director Ramenahalli Jagannatha keeps his ideas simple but the execution is a tad bland. Scenes showing a couple’s meet-cute moments, the effects of ragging on juniors and the coming together of some interesting youngsters, are devoid of freshness. The lone consolation is Anirudh Acharya’s comic act, which comes across as naturally funny.

The second half is where the director attempts to explore the plot’s potential to the fullest. You get to see troubled relationships, and people dealing with forgettable past. ‘Hondisi Bareyiri’ then transforms into a watchable relationship drama.

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From the ensemble cast, Aishani Shetty, stands out with a restrained performance, while Naveen Shankar’s brooding portrayal of a man trying to overcome a tumultuous relationship with his father is quite impressive. It’s impressive how the director manages to fit in a host of
actors and give them reasonable purpose on screen.

Jagannatha’s stages the scenes nicely and that’s one of the reasons why you don’t feel detached from the film entirely despite its flaws. ‘Hondisi Bareyiri’ is filled with pleasant visuals and the film’s score is close enough to offer a feel-good experience.

Coming-of-age/relationship drama is a tough genre to crack mainly because films dealing with such themes must succeed in emotionally connecting with the audience. Viewers must root for the characters. They must feel affected by the turmoils undergone by the characters.

It’s true that Kannada cinema is bereft of such films. Films handling the genre fail to be relatable. Even if his result is middling, Jagannatha’s attempt is encouraging and one hopes that he invests in stronger conflicts and makes a well-rounded film next time.