Karataka Damanaka review: Shiva Rajkumar and Prabhu Deva shine, but the drama falls short of the finishing line

Con men and charmers Virupaksha and Balaraju have a chance for a get-out-of-jail card when their jail warden sets them out on a mission to Nandikoluru village in the arid North Karnataka region.

What lies ahead is more than a chance to redeem themselves. Does the duo benefit and find what they are seeking?

Analysis

Yogaraj Bhat, in recent years, has had fans complaining that he might have just lost his Midas touch at narrating those family entertainers he is known for.

With Karataka Damanaka, there was a lot of hope as he got to unite with two wonderful stars, Shiva Rajkumar and Prabhu Deva, along with a dream ensemble cast.

And there lies a hint of touch with the Midas reference, which you will find out if you watch the story. Does this story land well? Not quite, the drama falls just short of the finishing line.

Had it not faltered in the final act of the narrative, the film could have been more relevant than ever for the Kannada audience today.

One does not need to look at arid villages in North Karnataka for water woes, even the state’s capital Bengaluru is facing its worst water crisis yet.

Hence, a story with water conservation and shortage as its central theme could have hit home hard.

Fun-tastic Blockbuster!
Dancing Duo Sets the Screen on Fire🔥#KaratakaDamanaka #InCinemas @NimmaShivanna @PDdancing @yogarajofficial @rocklineent @nishvikaa @PriyaAnand @harimonium @shyamchilling @aanandaaudio#KarunadaChakravarthy #DrShivarajkumar #Prabhudeva #YogarajBhat pic.twitter.com/dWaayozQ4u

— RocklineEnt (@RocklineEnt) March 8, 2024

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Laborious second half

But the fact that there are two big stars and it is a commercial film, the various elements that lead to the final act, especially in the second half of the film, become laborious for one to watch.

Karataka Damanaka shows two con men becoming saviours in a village, which desperately needs someone to protect it. The beats are very much akin to the most formulaic commercial dramas.

Unfortunately, the formulae have been stressed more than the actual problems that the film promised to turn its spotlight on.

The first half shows great potential for an interesting blockbuster.

The various conflicts and issues being addressed, along with the fun and games prove to be entertaining. But it is post-intermission that this promising narrative gets diluted.

While this could be a reason for disappointment, one cannot do away with the fact that there are some fun moments in the second half. But unnecessary fights, songs and diversions from the main conflict prove detrimental to the film.

Some of the graphics in the climax, which are supposed to be intrinsic to the tale of water woes, end up being rather shoddy for a film that otherwise has good visual appeal and aesthetics.

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Two-man show

Disappointments apart, it is Shiva Rajkumar and Prabhu Deva who hold this film together with their sizzling chemistry.

Many viewers have said it and I do agree that their bromance is akin to the one seen in Sholay between Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan as Jai and Veeru.

P Ravishankar has a quirky role that he excels in.

Rockline Venkatesh does a neat job.

Interestingly, the two leading ladies — Priya Anand and Nishvika Naidu — have roles central to the plot for nearly half the narrative.

One wishes the roles were better fleshed out in the second half.

Verdict

Yogaraj Bhat seems to have nearly got a story right with both commercial elements and a message, but the balance between the two is where the problem lies eventually.

Karataka Damanaka still does manage to entertain mostly, if you go to the cinema halls without any gargantuan expectations.

(Views expressed here are personal.)