'Vidyarthi Vidyarthiniyare': Coming-of-age drama that doesn’t take off

Speak of a coming-of-age drama and one instantly thinks of boyhood camaraderie, intra-college gang fights, a boisterous title song, a memorable young-adult romance, and an intense climax. However, Arun Amuktha replaces this festive package with a relentless snooze fest that will disappoint even his most ardent fans.

‘Vidyarthi Vidyarthiniyare’ begins with the gruesome suicide of Sharada, a bright eighth standard student. The audience then comes across a notorious gang of four students (two boys and two girls), played by Manoj Vivan, Amarendran Manivannan, Manasvi Manu and Bhavana Appu.

While no details are available about Sharada’s death, these brats, all hailing from powerful families, terrify the entire school with their shenanigans. They also bully Ramu (Chandan Shetty), the school’s new peon and make him their man Friday.

Most of the ensuing boredom can be attributed to the film’s structuring. It overemphasises on the quartet and wastes crucial time that could instead have been used on more important characters.

Having goofed around for the most part, the film turns preachy towards the end. This is a common flaw in several below-average Kannada movies that try in vain to make up for the lack of taste and verve through moralistic lessons.

The film’s only bright spot is singer-composer Chandan Shetty. He has a compelling screen presence and impresses as a simpleton who stammers often. One wishes he had had more screen presence which could’ve brightened the film’s prospects. Monotonous performances restrict the quartet from making an impact.

Junk it, as this coming-of-age drama fails to come of age even after 140 minutes.