Film: ‘Modhala Sala’; Cast: Yesh, Bhama, Rangayana Raghu, Tara, Avinash and others; Producer: Mallikarjuna; Writer and Director: Purushotham; Music: Hari Krishna; Camera: H.C. Venu; Rating: **
‘Modhala Sala’ starts off very well, raising hopes of a good film from debutant director Purushotham.
Everything goes well for the film, including the crisp dialogues. The director has been able to extract neat performances from all the artistes and the music complements the film’s tone.
But just an hour after the beginning, the director tries to add a lot of unnecessary elements and over-emphasises some sentimental sequences which drag the film and spoil the narration.
The result is that the film which promises a lot in the beginning ends up as another dragging film with an elastic narration. There are too many parts, like the flashback sequence which are full of illogical elements and forced emotions. The climax is not only unconvincing but even tedious.
To be fair to the film’s director Purushotham, who has had a long experience of working with many good directors on the Kannada screen, he has used his writing abilities to the best as far as the dialogues are concerned. And the locations he has chosen for the emotional sequences provide a perfect backdrop.
He has been ably supported by a team of good artistes like Rangayana Raghu and Tara who have even overshadowed the younger lead pair. But all these finer elements fail to make an impact in the end because of the dragging elements in the second half and the repetition of sequences which tests the patience of the viewers.
The story goes like this.
Karthick, the son of a rich industrialist, goes to his native village to perform the last rites of his deceased mother. He accidentally meets Deepa, the daughter of simple, honest parents who value love and sentiments more than anything else.
Karthick and Deepa decide to marry. Deepa’s parents approve the alliance, but not Karthick’s father.
The reasons for his opposition is explained in a flashback sequence. In the extended climax sequence, the director further tests the patience of the audience by giving too many twists to the narration.
The film certainly belongs to veteran artistes Rangayana Raghu and Tara who have really done a fantastic job. For a change, Rangayana Raghu has portrayed a different type of role – that of a timid person with a golden heart. Tara provides ample support.
The film’s hero looks good on screen with his designer clothes, but Malayalam actress Bhama is a wrong choice. Avinash has a brief role in the film but he makes an impact with the right emotions.
Venu’s top class cinematography is an asset, while Hari Krishna’s music complements the film’s emotions.
‘Modhala Sala’ has good technical values and neat performances from the artistes. But the film, which starts off well, loses its track half way and ends up as a disappointment.
