'Sangaathi' - Chethan's debut film a lacklustre fare (Kannada Film Review)

Film: 'Sangaathi'; Cast: Chethan, Aishwarya, Girish Karnad, Srinath, Ashok Rao, Vinaya Prakash and others; Director: Sreenivasa Raju; Music: Hamsalekha; Producer: Byregowda; Rating: *

'Sangaathi' is the launching pad of Chethan, son of the film's producer Byregowda.

It was a huge risk for Sreenivasa Raju, who had so far worked with artistic filmmakers like Nagabharana and successful commercial directors like Puri Jagannadh, to launch a newcomer and as expected it has turned out to be a disaster.

The major drawback is that Sreenivasa Raju, who had given quite a few successful commercial films, has failed to deliver a good script that moves fast on screen and contains enjoyable commercial ingredients.

There are no fresh elements in the story. And the narration is predictable.

The film's pace is very slow as a result the audiences get bored quickly. Action scenes are well choreographed, but they too fail to bring in any relief.

Music director Hamsalekha has composed good tunes for the film, but the songs have been badly shot. Though the director canned them in picturesque locales in New Zealand and Karnataka, they fails to generate the required visual impact.

The story revolves around Prem (Chethan), a guy who loves helping friends who are in love. He is ready to face any challenge to get his young friends married.

Prem's life changes when he himself falls in love with a girl (Aishwarya), who is the daughter of a don, Deshpande (Girish Karnad). Deshpande opposes their relationship because he is unable to accept the fact that an ordinary guy romancing his daughter.

As an actor Chethan has many flaws and doesn't fit the bill of an action hero. Though he looks good in action sequences, it is difficult to believe that with his tiny physique he bashes around 20 guys.

Malayalam girl Aishwarya looks glamorous on screen, but her role is not fleshed out properly as a result she doesn't get an opportunity to showcase her acting skills.

Veteran actor Girish Karnad has nothing much to do either. However, Vinaya Prakash delivers a convincing performance.

Dattu's camera work is top class. Hamsalekha song compositions are as good as background score. Lack of fresh elements makes 'Sangaathi' an ordinary fare.