JOIN USRathavaara
Kannada (A)
Cast: Srimurali, Rachita Ram, Ravishankar, Chikkanna, Sadhu Kokila
Director: Chandrashekar Bandiyappa
Rathavaara joins the long list of films revolving around a rowdy’s attempts to reform and redeem himself in society.
Director Chandrashekar Bandiyappa’s revisitation of the done-to-death theme breaks no new ground. While one may excuse Bandiyappa for that, what infuriates one is the way he deals with transgenders, one of whose (Mahadevi) curse sets the hero Rathavaara — man Friday of MLA Manikantha — to change his ways.
Rathavaara is tasked by his master to find a dead body of a transgender, so that Manikantha can realise his dream of ascending the CM’s gaddi, after having a glimpse of the body. Rathavaara makes a failed attempt on Mahadevi, who curses him. Her curse results in him losing heavily in cricket betting, and escaping death by a whisker several times.
Low on entertainment and high on banal, heavy blood-letting violence, Rathavaara makes for a miserable watch. The only redemption are the sumptuously shot song sequences and the mad capers of a besotted Rachita Ram.