A return to the simple and familiar?

When a film earns Rs 13 crore today, it may not seem like much in a box office culture obsessed with Rs 100 crore milestones. But for a Kannada film made on a Rs 2 crore budget, earning that in just 15 days — despite releasing alongside a big ticket like ‘Dhurandhar 2’ — is no small feat.

That is what ‘Love Mocktail 3’ has managed to do. 

Darling Krishna and Milana Nagaraj return with an entertainer rooted in warmth and love, one that has struck a chord with audiences.

‘Love Mocktail 3’ portrays a different kind of man, someone you rarely see in movies and in real life — a single father with an adopted daughter. And all he fights for is for his daughter. The film is driven by that sentiment, and not once does it feel too much. That makes the movie refreshing and Krishna’s character, Adi, a man to vouch for.

At a time when every movie is trying to follow a trend, and when every other actor wants to be an alpha male, Krishna brings back his character from 2022 to tell a heartwarming story of a father and daughter. Years after personal loss — the death of his wife Nidhi (Milana Nagaraj) — Adi now finds purpose in raising his adopted daughter, whom he calls Nidhi. The bond they share becomes the emotional anchor of ‘Love Mocktail 3’.

The child played by Samvrutha is naughty and lovable. Her shenanigans are amusing, prompting brief bursts of laughter. Apart from a few silly jokes and Shwetha Prasad’s Leela — a lawyer advocating for men to have equal rights as women to adopt a girl child — the film is quite enjoyable. Even then, the film as a whole does not outright endorse Leela’s courtroom argument.

In that sense, the film is also politically aware. The character ‘Jagga Mummy’, a trans person navigating their gender, is called “mummy” by the little girl, and they are visibly elated. It becomes a quiet and powerful moment of recognition — of identity and belonging. The character also redefines the idea of ‘mother sentiment’, a common trope in Kannada cinema. It has also arrived at a time when there is an ongoing debate around amendments to the transgender bill.

In an industry increasingly driven by ‘pan-India’ spectacle, Krishna and Milana have built one of Kannada cinema’s most unlikely franchises. It is a rare example of a successful trilogy. Like most sequels, ‘Love Mocktail 2’ did feel like a bit of a drag, but the franchise, in its final exploration, redeems itself.

Although there have been multiple other Kannada films like ‘Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali’, that are on similar notes — high on emotions, romantic, and entertaining — what explains the success of ‘Love Mocktail 3’?

Film critic Swaroop Kodur believes it is the audience’s trust in a homegrown brand that has risen quietly and steadily. “Krishna and Milana resonate with the Kannada-speaking crowd because they seem to understand what their audience responds to,” he says, also partly attributing it to the recency effect. 

People may like movies like ‘Ibbani…’ and other acclaimed films, but there has been some hesitation among audiences to take the ‘risk’ of watching a new film by new makers — a trust that the ‘KrisMi’ couple have somehow managed to build.

For most people who want to watch something with their whole family without too much fuss, ‘Love Mocktail 3’ seems like a good choice. Many who paid close to Rs 400 said the film was worth their money. Reiterating a producer-distributor’s comment on the Rs 200 cap on movie tickets, “If the audience feels the film is worth their money and time, ticket prices are never the problem.”

All said and done, watching a Kannada movie with an almost full house on a weekday, in the middle of the IPL season, was a fulfilling experience.