Panchatantra

Whenever Yogaraj Bhat has embarked on a project with newcomers, it has most often turned out to be good. Panchatantra has all that one expects from his films, witticisms galore in the dialogues, a young romance that is tackled in a cute, naughty way and loads of emotional drama, finally peppered with philosophy. The film does put forth a nice mix that keeps one hooked to a large extent.

The story of the film tries to re-create the fable of the hare and the tortoise, with a lot more philosophical undertones. There is also a young love story to supplement the eventual race, which is replete with a romantic duet and some bittersweet moments. The film has a large ensemble cast with each of them doing their little bit. While the first half of the story is majorly a premise to introduce each character along with their eccentricities, the second half is where the action is with the big car rally.

One must hand it to the team for showcasing the car rally in a rather gripping way. The visuals are compelling and complement the race. The entire story, which lasts a little over two hours, might seem a little long at parts, but in entirety the makers have delivered an entertaining product. There are songs, action, emotions and a nail-biting finish, quite literally. The film might be a little too loud for those who aren't too familiar with Rangayana Raghu's style of drunken comedy, as there are scenes aplenty of him and the bottle. The young lead pair look like they've tried to put their best. The secondary cast is interesting, with some interesting caricatures that evoke laughs.

The film has some good songs, the picturisation is quite stunning and the art direction throughout the film is commendable. Panchatantra might be a tad loud and a little long, but it is entertaining and engrossing for those who like their commercial films with all emotions yoked in together. This one definitely ranks among Yogaraj's better films.