‘Komaram Puli’ is a big let down (Kannada Film Review)

Film: “Komaram Puli”; Director: S.J. Surya; Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Nikisha Patel, Manoj Bajpayee, Ali; Music: A.R. Rahman; Rating: *1/2

Actor Pawan Kalyan is a big star of the Telugu film industry. His films are eagerly awaited, but his latest film “Komaram Puli” which has come after a gap of three years is a big let down.

With these kinds of films, you don’t wonder why the quality of Telugu films has been going down these days. It may be harsh to say these words for a film which has been made on a whopping budget of Rs.40 crore, has a top star in the lead, a well known film director and boasts of an oscar award winner composing the music, but the fact is “Komaram Puli” is just an average film.

The film is supposed to be an action-thriller, but there are so many twists and turns in the film that sometimes it gets difficult to understand what the director is trying to project. The hero of the film is a dynamic police officer. Whenever he opens his mouth, there is a plethora of preachy dialogues that come out of it. It clearly shows that the director has not done a proper homework in writing the script.

It is clearly Pawan Kalyan’s film and the actor really does his best to lift the film falling from the burden of a loose script. His body language is perfect and he carries off his role in style.

The main problem with the film is that it does not have a credible story or script. The director, who showed such great level of maturity in writing the script of “Kushi”, has done a haphazard work in his writing. There is absolutely no consistency in characterization.

Everything is so predictable that if you find something innovative in it, chances are that it must have been two decades since you last saw a south Indian movie. The film does show some promise in the first half, but it clearly falls flat in the second half.

The plot goes something like this - a police officer, Komaram Puli, saves the life of the prime minister in Bangkok. The prime minister appreciates the courage of the officer and asks him if he needs any favour. The officer in return requests for a free hand in building up a team of dedicated police officers to curtail the crime rate. The prime minister obviously agrees. This is followed by a slew of events that ultimately lead to a confrontation between Don Al Saleem and Puli.

Pawan puts up an impressive performance. His fast paced dialogues are sure to be liked by his fans. London-based Nikisha Patel gets to flaunt a lot of glamour quotient through her role. She is not bad for a newcomer. On the other hand, Manoj Bajpayee slips into a vilain’s role with ease.

A.R. Rahman’s music and background score is as always melodious. The camera work is also commendable.