'777 Charlie' review: A pawsome film with a wave of emotions

777 Charlie

Kannada (Theatres)

Director: Kiranraj K

Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Sangeetha Sringeri, Raj B Shetty

4/5

Years after 'Hachi: A Dog's Tale', 'Marley & Me' and other popular dog movies won hearts, here is a Kannada film that aims to be in the same league. ‘777 Charlie’, from Kiran Raj and co, is a five-year effort and it shows.

The film explores a warm human-dog bond. Dharma's (Rakshit Shetty) life, which was not much beyond drinking, smoking, eating, working and fights, takes a U-turn when a dog walks into his life. Unnamed for a long while, the puppy is later named Charlie (owing to Dharma's love for comedian Charlie Chaplin) and she is not just a bundle of joy but literal chaos.

It is ironic that Dharma, whose family died in a car crash caused by a dog on the road, ends up taking care of another. He is often grumpy, barely smiles, and cares for no one. Yet, post his self-transformation, he ends up tending to Charlie, rocking her to sleep, and even becomes compassionate to humans.

Dharma, however, is not a perfect pet parent (at least for a while) as he reveals to a pet licensing and animal welfare officer that he feeds the dog 'idli' and 'chutney'. A twist in the tale puts Dharma and Charlie on a long yet memorable road trip and that only strengthens the duo’s bond.

This unique attempt in Kannada cinema is packed with comic and emotional moments alike. The story is not just cute as it makes us think too. It tries to champion the 'Adopt. Don't Shop' campaign by depicting the plight of dogs at breeding places.

The film’s cinematography and graphic elements enhance the scale of the film. The pleasing music is backed by a background score that’s as energetic as the puppy itself.
Kiranraj makes a brilliant directorial debut and kudos to the dog trainers for ensuring the scenes aren't artificial. In fact, in most places, it feels like Charlie (like any peppy Labrador) is just living her life on screen. Rakshit Shetty gets into the mind of Dharma and delivers a convincing performance, Raj B Shetty, as Dr Ashwin makes one smile every time he appears on the screen. Bobby Simha excels in a cameo.

The story has things that are far from reality — like how a tracker is placed in the dog's license collar to track it later. The film's runtime of 173 minutes can also be a deterrent to some but to its credit, the film doesn't drag unnecessarily.

'777 Charlie' is a family film with a difference and let's hope the film inspires a healthy trend in Kannada cinema.