‘Naayaka’ good but plagued by weak narrative (Kannada Film Review)

Film: “Naayaka”; Cast: Naveen, Raagini, Naan Kadavul Rajendran and others; Director: P.C. Sekhar; Producers: Ramesh Kumar, Pradeep Kumar; Music: Prveen Stephen; Camera: Murali Krishna; Rating: **1/2

“Naayaka” comes as a pleasant surprise for the audiences because of the low levels of expectations from the film. There was hardly any hype around its release as the film’s actress Raagini was practically unknown. But due to its strong technical side, it makes for a decent viewing. A little bit of polishing in the script, and the final product could have been much better.

Undoubtedly, the strength of the film lies in its strong visuals. Cameraman Murali Krishna has captured some picturesque frames of forest terrains and highways. The director has certainly picked some very good outdoor spots to suit the narrative of the story. The song composition does not go with the visuals but the background score by Arjun more than makes up for it.

However, the film is plagued by an inconsistent narration. Though the director does not show the lead actor in a larger than life image, he has succumbed to the temptation of being repetitive.

The dubbing work in the film is so poor that it can go on to irritate you. Rajendran, who was so amiable in Tamil film “Naan Kadavul”, has played a role cut-out for him but is bogged down by the dubbing.

The film goes something like this - two lovers, Naveen and Madhu, go on a jolly bike trip across the hilly and jungle areas. They have to run away after a group of bandits follow them. Soon, Madhu is kidnapped by a dreaded brigand Naagappa who keeps her as a hostage. How Naveen takes on the villian to set free his lover forms the remaining part of the narrative.

For Bangalore-based actor Naveen who has acted in a Tamil film earlier, this is a tailor-made role. He has the required physique to carry out the Rambo-act in style. Raagini is handicapped by the dubbing, but shows promise during the climax sequence where she emotes well.

“Naayaka” could have been a better film with a neater script and dubbing. Nevertheless, it makes for a one time watch.