Hebbuli Shot in the treacherous mountains and snaky terrain of Jammu & Kashmir, and the visually enchanting Iceland, Hebbuli is a highly stylised, technically polished entertainer. Here, form and technical gloss get the better of content.
Kannada (U/A) ¬¬
Cast: V Ravichandran, Kichcha Sudeep, Amala Paul, Avinash, Ravi Shankar, Chikkanna, Ravi Kishan
Director: S Krishna
Kichcha Sudeep reprises the titular role with trademark panache. Hebbuli features him as para commando officer Captain Raam with a side-cropped hairdo that has since become a rage among fans.
With a surgical strike to put a bullet into terrorist Hafiz Mohammed, Hebbuli heads straight into the familiar terrain of an aggrieved brother seeking vengeance against corrupt politicians and businessmen.
Even as his superior warns him of disciplinary action for not fetching the prized terrorist alive, a telegram that his brother, collector Sathyamurthy, has committed suicide brings Captain Raam back in Bengaluru. Refusing to believe it’s a suicide, Raam seeks to track the real reason behind his brother’s death. His brother-in-law ACP Prathap not being of much assistance, Raam systematically and stealthily uncovers the plot. He stalks the perpetrators and fell them one by one.
Malayalam actor Amala Paul — making her Sandalwood debut as the coy and besotted Nandhini — is just a pretty presence. The film sees Sudeep and Ravichandran (playing the principled IAS brother) team up again after Manikya.
Aided by Arjun Janya’s pleasing score, Hebbuli is a high-octane Shivaratri treat for Kichcha’s fans.
