Prajwal Devaraj, the teenaged son of Kannada actor Devaraj is already well known for his roles in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu cinema. Prajwal, also a good cricketer, now impresses as a hero in Sixer, a film produced by Ramoji Rao. Ramoji Rao's Ninagaagi and Chitra were blockbusters, and his production company is known for clean, family entertainers.
A lot was expected from Sixer and while the film certainly doesn't disappoint, it doesn't match the expectations.
Sixer initially reminds you of the run-of-the-mill youthful entertainers made at quick succession these days. But half an hour in, you realise that the film is indeed different.
The story revolves around a cricket crazy youngster who wants to work for the underworld -- in order to make enough money to afford cricket training. His boss Katre, an underworld don, wants to use him to stop the marriage of a rival don's daughter, Devaki. He is asked to pretend to love her. As expected, the girl soon falls for him. But then follows an unusual twist.
The dialogues in the first half are full of punch and humour, but the quality deteriorates in the second half. The characterisation of the heroine and villains is not up to the mark. The villains behave like buffoons sometimes, when they are supposed to be controlling the entire city's underworld. Hamsalekha's music, which could have enhanced the film, has unfortunately been a weak element.
Director Shashank admirably keeps action sequences to the bare minimum, focussing instead on the film's emotional core.
We can say for sure that Prajwal has arrived with this film. Though only a college student, his lively performance in the film is outstanding. He is good at dialogue delivery, emotion and also in dances and fights. Though the heroine Devaki has worked in a few Telugu films, her experience has not brought out the best in her. Avinash as usual has given a composed performance. Rangayana Raghu overacts and Aadi Lokesh should certainly change his stylised dialogue delivery. The camerawork is ordinary when compared to current cinema.
Sixer is a good debut for Prajwal and a film that won't bore you.
Rediff Rating: