Moorane Krishnappa

Plot: Gram Panchayat head Veeranna (Rangayana Raghu) is all set to contest elections again. As a strategy to win the elections, he decides to invite a film star for the inauguration of a temple in the village. This sets off a chain of events that eventually spiral out of control.

Review: Anekal Gram Panchayat president Veeranna (Rangayana Raghu), in a bid to woo voters, invites a film star for the inauguration of a temple in the village. But, when the film star dies just a few days before the event, he is forced to make a quick decision on a new guest. He zeroes in on inviting the Chief Minister of the state, and to approach him, they seek the help of Krishnappa (Sampath Maitreya), a mathematics teacher. Veeranna and co believe that Krishnappa’s political connections in the city may help them bring the CM to the village. Can they pull off the near-impossible task?

Set in Anekal, which is just a few kilometres from Bengaluru, Moorane Krishnappa offers an unfiltered glimpse into the life of villagers. Good, clean humour, natural acting, simple narration and local content are the highlights of the film. And the biggest addition being the Kannada dialect spoken in the border regions of Telugu-speaking states. The first half, filled with some amazing comedy set pieces, entertains throughout; the film loses the steam in the second half, but manages to deliver a very good message in the end.

The film is the latest addition to the content-oriented cinema the Kannada film industry is currently churning out. This rural comedy is an apt on-screen translation of regional content. Full marks to director Naveen Reddy for his successful attempt. Rangayana Raghu and Sampath Maitreya take up majority of screen space and both are a treat to watch. Their chemistry has worked out extremely well. The film has a good number of eccentric, quirky characters too!

The film is not without its flaws, but elevated performances, laced with delectable language, make this a must watch.

-Pramod Mohan Hegde