For the first time in recent years, a popular film has dealt with agrarian crisis in Karnataka, especially the phenomenon of farm suicides.
Bangara s/o Bangarada Manushya starring Shivarajkumar offers at least a “filmy” solution to the growing farm crisis and takes on the establishment for neglecting the farming community.
Bangara, as the title more than suggests, borrows heavily from Bangarada Manushya starring Rajkumar, which created history of sorts in Kannada cinema and inspired educated youth to return to farming.
In Bangara , Shivaraj (Shivarajkumar) is the son of Bangarada Manushya (Dr. Rajkumar) and learns about his father and what he did for the farming community. He then returns to fictional Ramapura to save the farmers. He tackles agrarian crisis in the State and exposes the apathy of political system for the agrarian class.
Yogi narrates the story of Shivaraj in a linear manner, of course with all the commercial ingredients, that will appeal to fans of the late Dr. Rajkumar and Shivarajkumar. Though Bangara has shades of Mahesh Babu-starrer Srimantudu in terms of content, its canvas is much wider.
A large part of the first half of the film is shot Milan, Venice, Italy, and Switzerland, and the second half shifts to Karnataka. In the pre-interval segment, Shivarajkumar plays a flamboyant young man who lives for the moment. His life takes a major turn when he learns about his father.
To establish Shivaraj’s father, Yogi employs documentary format by using black and white clippings of Dr. Rajkumar on his concern for farming and Kannada and social issues.
However, except for Shivarajkumar, every other character looks like caricature and employed to sing paeans to Bangarada Manushya . Vidya Pradeep has nothing to offer in this hero-dominated film. Equally dispensable is the comedy track of Sadhu Kokila.
