Expectations were high when writer-director S Narayan chose the current sensation 'Golden' Ganesh of Mungaru Male fame as the hero in Cheluvina Chiththaara. When announced that it'll be a remake of the Tamil film Kadhal, everybody expected a great product. Unfortunately, the director hasn't been able to recreate the magic of the original, and you feel a little letdown.
Narayan's films have always made an impact. His writing ability has come into good stead even in remakes, where he strengthened the product by including native aspects, peculiar to local culture and ethos. That is one reason why films like Suryavamsha, Simhaadriya Simha are still remembered. But Cheluvina Chiththaara lacks anything original and looks like a straight copy of Kaadhal. But for the five songs of the film which have original tunes, there is nothing original about this film.
Even the ambiience does not have a Karnataka feel. Caste-clashes are deep rooted in southern Tamil Nadu, while the divide is not as rampant in Karnataka, with the exception of isolated incidents.
The climax -- and the sequences leading up to it -- appear crude and may not go down well with the Kannada audience.
Maadesha works as a mechanic in a garage. An innocent schoolgirl, the daughter of a local don, likes him. Maadesha falls deeply in love with the girl and they decide to get married. They elope from the town and do so, but the don's gang find and take them back to him. An enraged don beats up Maadesha and forces his daughter into another marriage. The rest is for you to see.
Ganesh gives a decent performance as Maadesha, but fans who have enjoyed him doing comedy may find it difficult to accept him in a tragic role. The director has been able to extract good work from the film's new heroine, Amoolya, but she definitely needs to improve. Komal has, once again, excelled in the friend's role. Kaadal Dhandapaani plays the same role he had played in the Tamil film. Narayan introduced a new villain, Lingenahalli Sureshchandra, who has also performed with ease.
Mano Murthy's music is melodious, and 2 songs are particularly pleasing to the ears. Technically, the film impresses.
Cheluvina Chiththaara will certainly work for the family audience as it is clean and natural, but its success will depend on how the audience accepts the last few reels of the film.
Rediff Rating: