Shukra Movie Review
Vinod Raj has demonstrated his skills in the fight and dance sequences many times earlier. His recent film Shukra also capitalizes on these two strong points of the actor, but the film does not appeal on any other count. The end product is a mediocre fare churned out by Mudduraj who has not cared to do anything to enhance the quality of this film. The actor's mother Leelavathi who is also a veteran actress of Kannada films has produced this film.
A year ago Vinod Raj returned to the Kannada film industry after a long gap of nearly six years to act in a film titled as Kannadadha Kanda which survived a big competition to reach to the winning post. The success of this film was because of the loyal fans of Vinod Raj who wanted to see him back again. After the success of Kannadadha Kanda, the least that was expected of the film's director and the script writer was to create a reasonably better product. But the duo has utterly failed to deliver the goods.
Vinod Raj plays a double role in this film. An honest police officer Surya is on a manhunt for a kidnapper. He suspects a local don Devaraj to be behind many crimes. He arrests Devaraj, but then he had to succumb to the pressures of his look alike Shukra who is a big rowdy in the city to release the Don. Devaraj's goons kill Surya. Later Shukra takes up the cause of Surya and fights the Don.
The stereotyped story is narrated on the screen in a haphazard manner. And there is no convincing plots to narrate this story. Of repeated sequences mar the pace of the film and there is nothing fresh in the narrative part of the film. And the mannerisms of some of the characters in the film are quite irritating.
Vinod Raj plays his two roles with gusto and he once again comes well in fights. The heroine Priyadharshini does not have enough scope in her role and has been featured only in a few sequences and dances. Neenasam Ashwath plays the role of the Don, but he tends to be repetitive with his Mungaru Male mannerism. Technically also the film is not to the standards that are being now seen in the current crop of films.
But for Vinod Raj's presence, Shukra does not offer anything to the audience. You may see it once.
Rating: One and a half stars.
