Aarakshaka

Never shall asylums and policemen match!

Kannada (U/A)
Cast: Upendra, Ragini, Sadaa, Seetha, Sayyajirao Shinde, Adi Lokesh and Rajesh
Director: P Vasu

Director P Vasu brings Aarakshaka with Uppi playing the lead. A rip-off of Martin Scorcese’s Shutter Island, Aarakshaka plays havoc on an unsuspecting viewer for most of the time.

Right at the outset, Arunkumar’s (Upendra) disturbed state of mind reveals the film’s best kept secret: its original source of inspiration. He appears normal and relaxed in songs with the evanescent Sadaa though. The Sheela ki jawani clone song with Ragini doesn’t count.

The director stays true to the many twists and turns, tweaking the script here and there, making it increasingly predictable ; the viewer is kept under a perpetual state of disbelief and confusion. Das’ camera and Gurukiran’s expert background score add to the tension.

Dialogues add value to the film. Ragini gets a meaty role—her expressions in places add to the general confusion.

Upendra hams and hammers his way through the role – a perfect cast by the director. But it would be interesting to watch Uppi in a calm frame of mind, in full control of himself.

Close-ups should also have been avoided. Adi Lokesh truly had never essayed such a role - getting sprayed with bullets the third time he appears on screen! Seetha is beautiful and dignified.

Sayyajirao Shinde should have had some assistance in understanding the nuances of synchronising lip movements with his character. The climax drags a bit but panders to the hero’s image. According to Upendra, even the intelligent will require repeated viewing to understand the entire film. But then, the viewer is not a fool either.