Aranyakanda

Amar, a small-time crook, hears about the mystery of money that was apparently given to Veerappan to free Dr Rajkumar that was never recovered and remains in the forest. He decides to go and get the money by putting together a motley bunch to help him with it. Does he succeed?

The idea behind this film, especially when the narrative reaches the climax, is very good. It uses good metaphors and songs that take forth the philosophy the maker wants to convey. But the screenplay drags and is at least 20 minutes too long, which makes the viewer restless. The best example for this is the climax that ends up being too stretched, which reduces the impact it could have created.

The film has been shot interestingly in good locations. There are some good moments that keep you fixed to the screen and the comedy too isn't bad and is mostly situational. The actors do a good job and the casting leaves little room for complaint. The only grouse one has when leaving the cinema hall is that the film could have been treated in a far edgier fashion to get the required impact that the twist at the climax brings. Instead, one sees a rather lethargic unfolding of a screenplay that shows much hope.

All said, Aranyakanda is a script that does show a lot more promise than most of the regular ones that hits the screens. You could watch it once to encourage an interesting premise.