The film has no big commercial theatrics and most of the subplots have enough breathing space for their stories to be noticed.
'Lineman' is written and directed by V Raghu Shastry. (X)
Lineman is a Kannada-Telugu bilingual featuring Thrigun in the lead. Veteran actor B Jayashree plays a pivotal role in the movie.
As the title says, the film follows the life of a lineman and his connection with his village.
It has a mixture of quirky characters usually found in a typical small town and village setting. And the centre of them all is a midwife, who is set to turn 100 years.
But what happens when the village has to go without power due to an emergency for a few days forms the crux of the main narrative.
Director V Raghu Shastry has chosen a subject that has a heartwarming core.
Lineman speaks about the importance of all lives, humans, animals, and birds on one side and the way everyone in villages, small towns, and cities is consumed by lives dependent on their mobiles on the other.
Thrigun’s ‘Lineman’ is a Kannada-Telugu bilingual. (X)
The film tries to balance these with a beautiful story of a midwife’s 100th birthday celebrations juxtaposed with her wanting to save four lives on the other.
In the backdrop of these are different stories of the residents. How all these tracks tie up to the village living with no electricity forms the essence of the flick.
The makers have put in an earnest effort. And there is a good dose of emotions, comedy and drama.
What is more refreshing is how they shy away from keeping a main romantic track involving the protagonist, which would have been the ideal trope in a movie like this.
Another interesting factor is there are no big commercial theatrics and most of the subplots in the film have enough breathing space for their stories to be noticed.
B Jayashree in a poster of ‘Lineman’. (X)
The only setback in the narrative is the second and third acts of the tale, which get a tad too laborious to watch.
The makers could have tightened the edit and it could have ensured a more engaging watch. But this does not take away the core.
The story and the intent behind which the makers chose to put forth a tale like this comes through. Multiple messages are conveyed throughout the film and they do not come across as preachy.
The music, especially in the climax, is impactful.
When it comes to acting, the big ensemble does a laudable job.
B Jayashree stands out with a beautiful role. She ensures to bring in a whole different kind of magic on screen with her performance.
Sujay Shastry, Thrigun, Chethan Gandharva, and Harini also shine in their roles.
Lineman is not your usual commercial drama. It has a sweet and heartwarming message with some earnest performances.
It is a noteworthy experiment to tell a tale in heartland India, and that could be reason enough for you to catch this film.
(Views expressed here are personal.)
Apr 27, 2024
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