Tuglak

Confusion shouldnt be prolonged

Kannada (U)
Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Meghana Gaonkar, Aneesha Ummer, Giri and others
Director: Arvind Kaushik

Hero is confused. Or is undecided. About goals in life. Or outlook. An incident acts as catalyst, setting the hero on the path of self-discovery, with heroine (in somes cases, heroines) and friend(s) helping him along the way.

Of all the recent films with this theme, “Tuglak” stands apart somewhat. Here, Raaghu’s story is endearingly closer to reality. Unable to decide whether to have coffee or tea, whether to become a doctor, or engineer, or.... Raaghu is lucky to have friends like Giri, who sees him for what he really is. Raaghu is also a helpful soul, helping the likes of Balu, a “pakka” opportunist, if there was one. The difference is, Balu keeps getting Raaghu into trouble.

At the outset, it is easy to dismiss “Tuglak”. But the director is mindful of not letting his story slide into the “bucket of Indian crabs”. The dialogues, a joint effort by the director and Yoganand Muddan, are refreshingly free of any intellectual baggage. Straight and simple talking never looked this good. Of course, the Censor has beeped out a few words here and there, but does not take away anything from the impact of the film.

Among actors, Meghana is short-changed, with only her high-pitched voice getting heard. Aneesha shows promise. Raaghu’s two friends are superb. So are the auto drivers who are convincing, though, by the time they confront the film unit, the plot is somewhat diluted. Rakshit Shetty takes at least some still-giggly-over Bobby Deol-women back to the Hindi actor’s debut days, with his unkempt hair and stubbly cheeks and the smile. But that’s not all. He digs in some serious acting chops, depicting the turmoil of a young man who’s unable to decide upon anything for long.

Arjun (Janya) and Manuyapler B both provide another shade to entertainment. So what goes wrong with “Tuglak”? Characterisation.

Of Don B Suresha. Of Medda Ramesha. Neither can stay on mind for long, the former more so. A narrative that tries to cram in justifications above what is expected post interval, “Tuglak” lives up to its title. An effort that holds itself back just short of brilliance, “Tuglak” simplifies the dilemma many face, but leaves the audience dissatisfied. Just as the sultan of yore, perhaps ?