'Karataka Dhamanaka' movie review: Shivarajkumar, Prabhudeva shine in Yogaraj Bhat caper

How do you title a film? Seasoned filmmaker Yogaraj Bhat gets full marks for picking Karataka and Damanaka, names of the sly foxes from the Panchatantra, to title a tale full of intrigue, chicanery, deceit and drama.

Virupaksha (Shivarajkumar) and Basavaraju (Prabhu Deva) play the said foxes. Imprisoned for theft and fraud, they also build a reputation for resourcefulness and ingenuity. Impressed, the jailer sends them on parole to his hometown Nandikoluru, a fictitious town in north Karnataka. Their mission is to convince the jailer's father to leave the village, which the jailer considers a graveyard.

Water scarcity is Nandikoluru’s biggest problem, and it is exacerbated by the hooliganism of the local MLA (Rangayana Raghu). Villagers desperately await the village fair, hoping it will help them find a way to solve their problems. Egged on by a promise of freedom, and the temptations of newly kindled romance, the foxes summon up all their cunning to take on a tough game.

The basic sketch of the film — a multi-starrer with two good-hearted thieves being sent on a difficult mission to a barren village — comes from the classic 'Sholay' template. The thieves have contrasting character traits and begin wooing two village girls — all as expected! However, the similarities stop here. Unlike 'Sholay,' the plot increasingly focuses on the two heroes and revolves more around their internal contradictions and moral dilemmas.

'Karataka Damanaka' is a masala entertainer, and in that sense unlike the more emotional Yogaraj Bhat films. However, his creativity shines in the unconventional treatment, though perhaps not to everyone's taste.  

The plot is creative, unpredictable and peaks with well-timed comedy, delivered with a north Karnataka flavour. 'Karataka Damanaka' planks on the strong chemistry between the protagonists, vital for multi-starrers. However, the narrative lags at times and is over-dependent on them, since the villains are not portrayed strongly. The heroines are just namesake characters, and the supporting characters don’t have much to do. The story is sometimes monotonous, and like in most commercial films, improbable at times. The plot weakens towards the end and the climax leaves much to be desired.

The film stands out for showcasing a different Shivarajkumar. As the actor confessed in an interview, his more recent films, 'Bhajarangi,' 'Mufti,' Tagaru,' and 'Ghost', have been dark. It is refreshing to see the 61-year-old in a light role, which he plays with panache. Prabhu Deva, legendary for his dancing skills, adapts well to the demands of his Kannada role. His dancing skills are on display in the songs 'Deega Digri' and 'Hithalaka Karibeda Maava.'

Priya Anand and Nishvika do well but are given an extremely limited canvas. Ravishankar is relatively free from his typical Arumuga-style character play. V Harikrishna's power-packed music is one of the strong points as it sustains the momentum of the story, especially early on in the film.

'Karataka Damanaka' is a mixed bag. It takes up a time-tested template and works with a blockbuster pair, but the plot slackens and goes out of focus. It might still be an enjoyable watch for fans of Shivarajkumar and Prabhu Deva looking for some fun.

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