'Kotee' movie review: Dhananjaya charms despite soap opera-paced storytelling

‘Badavara maklu belibeku kanro’ (children of the poor must prosper too), Daali Dhananjaya’s lines from an interview — they later went viral — reflect the roles he chooses to play. Common man roles are Dhananjaya’s forte. Be it Rathnakara in Rathnan Prapancha or Shankar in Badava Rascal, he excels in them. Once again, he plays a character from a lower middle class family trying to meet ends.

Dhananjaya’s character, Kotee, is the sole bread-winner of a family that lives in Janata City. He runs a small packers and movers business and drives a cab when business is dull. He is a virtuous person — he never lies, steals or cheats. And yet he faces a hundred hurdles. Despite not wanting to take a loan from thug Dinoo Saavkaar (a wonderful Ramesh Indira), Kotee finds himself buried under a huge pile of debt. To break free, he has to do one of Saavkaar’s dirty jobs.

Kannada television’s celebrated figure Parameshwar Gundkal's debut film as director feels like a soap opera. Kotee makes sure to pay rent on his vehicle to Saavkaar every day. This everyday routine gets the treatment of a daily soap. The encounters begin with Kotee handing over Rs 2,000 to Saavakar. And each time you expect the plot to unfold, it doesn’t. It is as adamant as its protagonist.

With a runtime of nearly three hours, when the plot finally takes off with a clever connection to something from the first half, the audience no longer remembers it. And this is not a serial to show a loud flashback!

Kotee has some of our best actors who try to elevate the film with their performances. A charming Dhananjaya strives to save the film but the poor writing bogs him down.

The camera moves around Bengaluru in disguise of a fictional Janata City. Drone shots capturing the different moods of the city along with Vasuki Vaibhav's music add some colour to the film. 

The director brings in an impulsive disorder with an urge to steal, kleptomania, into the narrative, but it does little to add excitement to the story. 

Despite many attempts to keep it engaging, Kotee ends up as a snooze fest accompanied by a slap fest. The dramatic sound of each slap still rings in my head.