Violent vexatious vendetta

Lang: Kannada (A)
Film: Bheema Theeradalli
Cast: Vijay, Pranitha, Umashree, Loknath,
Dodanna, Sharath
Lohitashwa, Prajwal Bopaiah
Director: Om Prakash Rao

A terrific story of the soil, goes the film’s facetious title. How one wishes it was half as terrific and fetchingly told to drive home its homily than ram it down, in the calamitous and cacophonous fashion. If the violence portrayed to press home its message is any pointer, one offers a silent prayer to the poor censors who would have suffered with the uncut film. God forbid!

Right from word go to final freeze frame, Bheema Theeradalli, is one roller-coaster ride with machetes, sickles and guns blazing away to glory, not to mention the high decibel vocal slang bang match as machismo of muscled Vijay is on full display.
Here was a tale, rooted in rusticity, that could have been a winner had director Om Prakash Rao struck to simple and sensible story-telling.

But, with triumph card in ‘Duniya’ Vijay, Rao prefers to make the most of his Sandalwood star image to strike as much gold at movie marquee. However, Rao’s designs turn into trite and tiresome tamasha, told a dozen times leaving one ruing a ruined date at movies seeking meaningful timepass.

At the pitiful pith of Bheema is Chandappa, a docile do-gooder yokel, whose anger when aroused sees him turn a violent volcano spitting fire and brimstone at his tormentors.  The poor dolt of a lad, ferociously faces his uppercast detractors, to becomes an unwitting victim of law and fugitive on the run along with his friends.

Used as pawn by power-hungry politicians — Mallappa Desai and Shashikant Nagarkar, who take their gullible votebank for a right royal ride, Chandappa, turns Robin Hood for them. Given that Chandappa ways are violent, needless to say, he too meets an equally gory and retching ‘encounter’ end in police parlance.

While Vijay’s fans get full paisa vasool sending them to delirium, one wistfully wonders whether showing such stark and stupefying violence is any entertainment. Umashree squeezes every ounce of motherly emotions, with the rest of the cast lending hand to prolong your agony and for Vijay to pack a punch.

Pranitha is there as pretty prop to pontificate in the end on the hazards of taking violent route to serve one’s people.  Discerning cinegoers can safely give Bheema Theeradalli a miss.