JOIN USFair & Lovely
Kannada (U/A)
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Director: D P Raghuram
Cast: Premkumar, Shwetha Srivastav and others
A prank by friends goes wrong and Manu is on the run, with the police on his heels. He comes face to face with an old man who tells him to rest and relax inside the bungalow.
Somewhat perplexed at this “offer” of hospitality, Manu steps in. Just as he is getting comfortable, he finds he is in the company of a woman ready to satisfy him in more ways than one, and the police have come to raid the house. Trapped inside, Manu is forced to spend the whole day with the elegant, yet brash woman – “call me Fatima, Philomena or Pankaja, who cares” – while his friends try to extricate him. By night, it is a different story altogether.
It is not often that women are “treated” with the respect, maturity and understanding shown in this film. Naming the leads Manu and Bhumika, and other characters (Neethu, Anu Prabhakar, Bank Janardhan, Omprakash Rao, Nakshatra and Vijayaraghavendra – fleeting yet telling in their presence), Nandini, Paro, Abhimanyu, etc... the director borrows from mythology with the “message” not in-the-face at all. Of course, given Shwetha’s turn in Simplaag Ond Love Story, it is tempting to assume Fair & Lovely too follows the trend. But does it?
Fair & Lovely is one movie with very, very little to complain about. And deserving lots of applause. The credit belongs to actor Yatiraj upon whose story the director with dialogue writer Anandpriya builds a fine screenplay. It’s time Yatiraj is given roles that mean something – to the actor, to the film and to the audience, while allowing the storyteller in him to thrive.
Likewise is the case with Raghu and Anandpriya both awaiting “redemption” at the hands of a cruel and unforgiving Gandhinagar. Awarding U/A certificate for those bottle smashes is fair; there’s not a single scene that would automatically justify anything harsher.
Fair & Lovely embellishes Premkumar's prowess; Shwetha’s eyes retain their fire. As the wind blows in the hair and soothes nerves, so does Harikrishna’s music seep into the mind. Jagadish Wali’s camerawork complements the director’s vision quite well. Fair & Lovely celebrates the lost world of goodness and of right and wrong. Do join in.