Making the best out of worst situations

Aane Pataaki
Kannada (U/A) ¬¬¬
Director: Chandrashekar Bandiyappa
Cast: Srujan Lokesh, Parvathi Nirbang and others

An aspiring actor messes up his lines, the director and even a lavish set. Naturally, the producer is not amused but in his haste ends up inviting the actor to his wedding anniversary.

The actor arrives at the do and sets off a chain of events that quickly run out of control, leading to hilarious and disastrous sequences...

“Aane Pataaki” starts well, its narration on a different wavelength and gags coming in waves. There are spoofs galore as well. So much so that boredom and frustration envelop the audience before they are even aware of them! Borrowed, adapted or inspired by several similar ventures before, “Aane Pataaki” sure seems a novel departure from the usual storytelling in recent comedies.

However, the team fails to sustain the same interest and intensity throughout the film, with nothing worthwhile – even the love track seems a confused afterthought of the director in places – to fill up the gaps. The time taken to execute each scene is the film’s biggest drawback.

 There is very little of Srujan, the actor, to please the fan. Parvathi is pleasant on the eyes. The Comedy Brigade comprising Rangayana Raghu (trying his best not to ham while being effeminate), Sadhu Kokila, Mimicry Dayanand and others marches on its own tune – it is clear that the director suffers from lack of guidance from his experienced seniors in the team! Jai Jagadish, as the harassed, cigarette-chomping producer looks the part while Vijayalakshmi Singh gets to model a fine saree. The strange song placement kills interest in Dharma Vish’s music while Jagadish Waali’s camerawork is adequate for the situation. Lingaraju’s scissors, it appears, may have succumbed to fits of giggling and loss of reason.

Towards the end, it is soapy mayhem with romance taking a backseat. “Aane Pataaki” had so much to offer but disappoints like the firecracker after which it is named, not going out with a bang but a whimper.