'Bairagee' review: Shivanna-Dolly combo strikes again

Bairagee

Kannada (Theatres)

Director: Vijay Milton

Cast: Shivarajkumar, Dhananjaya, Anjali, Pruthvee Ambaar

Rating: 3/5

'Bairagee' had piqued curiosity as it pitted veteran Shivarajkumar against Dhananjaya, after the duo's famous face off in 'Tagaru' (2018). The clash mostly lives up to the promise. It's a remake of the Tamil hit film 'Kadugu' (2017) directed by Vijay Milton, who helms the Kannada version with some modifications.

The flick deals with two heinous crimes committed against women and minor girls: Forcing flesh trade and attempts of molestation. While trying to narrate a sensible story with commercial elements, the film raises two vital questions: What is important? Punishment or transformation? And which is heinous? Committing a crime or watching it as a mute spectator?

Shivappa (Shivarajkumar), a simpleton, is an exponent of the ancient art form Huli Vesha, a tiger faced dance unique to coastal Karnataka. A strong-tempered Shivappa is often unable to control his anger. An incident lands him in prison. He ends up being a helper to a police officer.

Circumstances bring Shivappa and Karna, a local leader together. As Karna nurtures political ambitions, he invites a minister for a programme at his village. A crime involving the minister pits Shivappa against Karna leading to a riveting climax.

The biggest strength of 'Bairagee', a character-driven film, is its story. The first half is extremely slow-paced as the filmmaker forces too many elements. A song involving Chikkanna doesn't complement the plot, so also a subplot dealing with the love story of Pruthvee Ambaar.

The story takes off just minutes before the first half. The story is set in a coastal region. Barring one, all characters never converse in the local dialect. With quite a few melodramatic moments in the second half, the plot becomes predictable but Milton salvages the film with a solid climax.