Salaga review: Dhananjaya roars in this crime drama

Salaga

Kannada (Theatres)

Director: Duniya Vijay

Cast: Duniya Vijay, Dhananjaya, Sanjana Anand, Achyuth Kumar

Rating: 3/5

Vijay’s first film as a lead was Suri’s hard-hitting ‘Duniya’ (2007) that satisfactorily explored the ‘criminals aren’t born, they are made’ theme. With ‘Salaga’, he makes his directorial debut on the same idea, albeit with mixed results.

Salaga (Vijay) is Bengaluru’s feared gangster who begins to eliminate his rivals after stepping out of prison. He becomes a headache for the police department, which can’t wait to see the end of him.

The Kannada film industry’s never-ending affinity towards gangster stories (fiction or non-fiction) is no secret. In recent times, Suri added fresh layers to this popular genre.

We have seen him experiment with the screenplay, intensify his eccentric characters and break boundaries on the technical front. From the rawness in ‘Junglee’ and ‘Kaddipudi’, he went wild and stylish with his narratives in ‘Tagaru’ (2018) and ‘Popcorn Moneky Tiger’ (2020).

‘Salaga’ is under the hangover of a typical Suri film. If you like this universe and commit yourself to it, the film is entertaining, especially in the first half. Vijay, more than direction, has succeeded in packaging his product nicely with the help of a gifted team.

A generic story is elevated by bizarrely funny characters, a terrific Charan Raj soundtrack, and dialogue-writer Maasthi’s unending witty lines.

The expletive and blood-filled scenes justify the ‘A’ certificate yet the film’s gore lack the aesthetic sense of a Suri film. It can either thrill you or make you squirm in your seat. 'Salaga' also has an obvious indication of being a revenge drama so the gruesome murders don't come with a shock value.

Dhananjaya gets his customary roaring welcome on screen. His character ACP Samrat is the film’s biggest strength. As the mean cop ready to wipe out the city’s criminals, he delivers a riveting performance. It's refreshing to see him on the other side of the law and Dhananjaya pounces on the role like a hungry lion.

Sanjana Anand shows promise. She carries an air of confidence and a pleasant presence despite her limited role. Sudhi continues to thrive on the success of his ‘Cockroach’ character in ‘Tagaru’. He is enjoyable for sure but there is a danger of getting trapped in similar roles.

Vijay’s writing deserves credit for showing two sides of a coin. 'Salaga' tries to vouch for reformed rowdies and unabashedly slams the corrupt system that involves police officers and politicians.

The film’s drawback is its protagonist. We are detached from Salaga’s life. We aren’t told how he became such a feared don. For a hero, Vijay’s screen presence is inadequate, making Salaga an underwhelming don.

The melodramatic flashback hampers the film’s tone and ‘Salaga’ begins to head downhill from that point. Despite some jarring sequences, editor Deepu S Kumar nicely ties together a character-driven plot but a timid climax exposes the lack of a solid story.

It’s debatable if ‘Salaga’ conveys its message in an effective manner. The Dhananjaya-Vijay face-offs are whistle-worthy but do they help the film’s intention? The answer is arguable because ‘Salaga’ tends to, even if to a small extent, glorify a criminal. Its defence of him being good-hearted is acceptable. It's the execution of this trope that falters.

The director in Vijay seems to have understood the necessities of a genre film. It guarantees entertainment for people. But for a wholesome experience, he needs to polish off some rough edges.