Pay for your sins sooner than later

Rajini Kantha
Kannada (U/A) ¬¬¬
Director: Pradeep Raj
Cast: Vijay, Aindrita Ray and others

Two brothers, one with a cleft lip and inferiority complex and another with all the angst and rage a ‘neglected’ child can have. It is par for the course that the younger, stronger one will be the wild one in the family. He flirts with danger and manages to extricate himself. Or does he? What does he have to pay to lead a normal life?

Using the name of an icon, sprinkling dialogues with film titles, theatre and actors’ names and imitating several legends helps Rajini Kantha sink quickly. Coherent and likeable in places, like the scenes where the younger brother realises the victim could be his brother one day and also advising his brother to actually look at their mother’s plight, the film could have been more engaging, coming as it did from the man who directed Kirathaka (whose dialogues were a delight).

Pradeep Raj’s tiredness is evident. Manju Mandavya’s dialogues are designed to pull in some seetis but the audience, game for any reckless behaviour, roars even at Aindrita’s smile and yes, at her gorgeous sarees! Rachna Maurya though is properly appreciated, seeing as she is covered more than before!

Vijay tries his best to present a sauve, hip attitude but comes across as desperate. But he allows the actor in him to sometimes upstage boorish behaviour with his turn as the cleft-lipped Rajini. It is evident that Vijay has worked hard to get the manner of speech right – the director should have ensured some continuity in each of his looks.

Aindrita has nothing much to do - the much-touted ‘chemistry’ between the lead pair doesn’t combust here at all. Bullet Prakash’s role is much more defined and is pleasant to watch.

R Giri’s camera does the job well. But Rajini Kantha belongs to Arjun Janya who whips up frothy tunes and dream concoctions for the mass and class alike. A little more homework would do wonders for the director and his hero, it must be said. However, Rajini Kantha also sends out a message: Any kind of publicity cannot always be ‘good’ publicity.