Manmatha Kannada Movie
Jaggesh's versatile talents are in full swing in Manmatha in which he has accepted a challenging role of a physically challenged hunchback person. He has acted in a double role for the second time in his career. Yes, the film is a remake of Dilip acted Malayalam film Kunjikaanan that was later remade in Tamil as Perazhagan with Soorya in the lead. Though well performed by lead artists Jaggesh, Gurlin Chopra and Komal does not stand up to its original film, but nevertheless will certainly by savored by audience who have seen neither the original or the Tamil remake.
The story of the film is not anything fresh and novel. Many sequences of the film have already been seen earlier and many incidents are based on the Hindi film Janata Hawaldaar featuring Rajesh Khanna and Yogita Bali. Even a Kannada film Olavina Udugore featuring Ambareesh had the same story thread. But what makes Manmatha a little out of the stereotype is that the hero is one of the physically challenged people who show lot of enthusiasm and zest for life. And the heroine is also a special person who has deficiency in her vision. She is also full of life. In that way the storywriter has combined the elements of social concern in a film narrated in a regular commercial format.
Manmatha has its entertaining moments when Jaggesh in the Hunchback person's role and Komal are around. Komal has really outclassed all his previous performances and in this film as he has got lot of scope to perform. But the sentimental sequences do not have the same level of impact and the so-called crisp editing has played havoc in this aspect. Rajesh Fernandes has tried to bring in some changes in the original script keeping in mind the image of Jaggesh (in that way the film is more faithful to "Perazhagan' than to the Malayalam original). Though this idea will go well with the fans of the actor, it has certainly lowered the impact of the whole film.
Manmatha has a new music director Vijayabharathi who has composed music for the first time. His inexperience in the music composition is amply demonstrated by the quality of the songs.
Jaggesh is very good in the role of the hunchback person, but he is not so special as a lover boy. In that way Gurlin Chopra has delivered a better performance in both the roles. Komal is at his best and it is time that this talented artist is given a big break by the industry. Veteran actors Srinivasa Murthy, Venkatesh and others have adequately filled the bill.
Manmatha will be remembered the performance of its lead artists and a neat narration. But there is nothing special about this film.
