Director: Guruprasad
Cast: Rangayana Raghu, Dhananjaya, Vatsala Mohan, Sumithra Devi, Guruprasad
It is possible for an aesthetic director to make every frame special but is it possible for a filmmaker to enliven frames only through dialogues? The kind of challenges can only be met by directors such as Upendra, Yogaraj Bhat and Guruprasad.
While other two blend dialogues with visuals to pull it off, Guruprasad banks mostly on his powerful dialogues to captivate his audiences. The director of Matha and Eddelu Manjunath again attempts to explore human relations through his characters dialogues in Director’s Special.
Guruprasad, who announced film way back in 2009, finally released it in 2013. On watching it, one may wonder why he took so long as there are just four locations at the most. Besides, everything happens in a dingy house where six characters are in a way imprisoned and unveil their evil designs in the process of narration.
The film dwells on how greed overpowers everything else. But it’s not homilies and Guruprasad has peppered his message with witty one-liners, Vachanas and Sanskrit verses. As a result the dialogues sound loaded at times.
Guruprasad opens the film with Dhananjaya (both real and reel), an orphan, inviting Panche Shastry (Rangayana Raghu) to be his father seeking love and affection He also invites assorted characters Vatsala Mohan, Sumithra Devi and Ram, naming them Ramachandra Seethamma, Gayathri and Hanuma. Though he meets all their needs, they plot to bump him off and split the Rs.52-lakh he has earned through some deal. Dhanajaya learns about the conspiracy and ask all the four to fulfil their dream by eliminating him.
At this juncture the plot takes a surprise twist.
Though it is Rangayana Raghu who steals the show with his restrained performance, the new comer Dhanajaya proves his mettle. Clearly, his theatre background works for him.
Pooja Gandhi’s ‘Kannalli Yest Hottu Nektiya’, song provides a ‘commercial’ relief to the audience. Composer Anup Silin grabs attention through his title song ‘Devare Agaadha Ninna Karuneya Kadalu’, using only the flute and the violin. Cinematographer Mahendra Simha proves his skill through his tight frames.
