Bhagyaraj

Set in small town Karnataka, the story revolves around the love between Raju, a photocopy store assistant, and Bhagya, who works at the local cable TV office. The two dream of a happily ever after. But, can they achieve it, given their limited means?

Director Deepak Madhuvanahalli has chosen a simple tale, which hovers around two laypersons falling in love in a fictional town named Ramapattana. Set in 2003, the film is devoid of the frills of the usual commercial stories and instead dwells around the dream of a young man wanting to buy his lover a rich birthday present, also highlighting his aspirations of making it big in life through his habit of buying lottery tickets.

While on one hand it is a small, rustic tale of love and aspirations, the treatment and situations make it no short of the best cinema noir attempts from India. There's the innocent love, simple aspirations and bright dreams on one side, which are threatened by grey situations, dark temptations and certain uneasy truths.

Does one have a shortcut to success and the good life? Can one fake it and live their dreams? These thoughts have been answered without any preaching in an entertaining story, which is sure to evoke many laughs and a few tense moments.

The biggest plus point to Deepak's tale is Anoop Seelin's score. There are good songs and the background music is equally riveting. Though, one may question if the special number featuring Mahesh's brother Loose Maada Yogi, is really needed in the flow of the story.

The cast has been smartly picked, with each of them suiting the characters. The situations, too, have a familiar ring to them. This is one of those films that will work for you if you're fond of makers like Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee and their ilk.