Ranganayaka review: Jaggesh and Guruprsasad’s well-intentioned tale of saving Kannada falls short of expectations

A famous director, known for having no filters, is called on the couch of a television show that delves into past lives.

Simultaneously, a royal youngster lives an indulgent life as he oscillates between love and debauchery. What connects these two threads?

Has noble intentions but…

When Jaggesh and Guruprasad united, they gave the Kannada film industry unforgettable cult entertainers in the form of Matha and Eddelu Manjunatha. So it was natural that there was extra expectation when they reunited for Ranganayaka.

The film releases with that baggage. Does it live up to that? It does not, unfortunately.

However, there are enough moments in the movie that will become popular independently as reels. But for cinephiles who seek cult content, this isn’t very pleasant.

Enna Manadarasi Song Trending Now🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥ರಂಗನಾಯಕ@Jaggesh2 @dir_guruprasad@AnoopSeelin @RachithaMaha_24 @ImranSardhariya @zeestudiossouth pic.twitter.com/TVuZK5S48h

— Vikhyath AR (@vikhyathforever) February 16, 2024

Ranganayaka has noble intentions, of talking about the state of the Kannada language, some of the malpractices prevalent in the film industry and the need for the people of Karnataka to be a lot more vocal about their feelings rather than adjusting to their neighbouring demands.

And when you have a fantastic writer like Guruprasad, you would expect all these issues to hit home. Unfortunately, this does not happen as easily.

There is a lot of the film that is nearly a yawn fest, but the last 15-20 minutes end up salvaging everything to an extent.

The bigger question is would one have the patience to sit through till that time?

Also Read: Ravichandran’s ‘Premaloka 2’ to go on floors on 30 May

Jaggesh and Guruprasad excel

Jaggesh is in top form as far as his acting goes. But the content that he delivers is highly passable.

Similarly, Guruprasad plays an extension of himself, as he is seen in interviews on the big screen this time.

Both of them, in their endeavour to deliver lines that are meant to be introspective to the Kannada audience and make them feel more strongly towards the Kannada language, end up mouthing dialogues that are highly misogynistic, unsavoury and filled with double entendres.

The “A” certificate is not surprising at all. Ironically, Ranganayaka releases on International Women’s Day!

The film also is meant to coincide with Kannada cinema celebrating 90 years. While the rest of the audience celebrates, Guruprasad poses a sombre question in the end, especially during the end credits. This is one of the highlights and the song that goes along with this lingers on.

But the jokes don’t land and that is what the Achilles’ heel for this project is. The only person who seems to be laughing throughout the film is the character played by Chaitra Kotoor and not the audience. This says a lot for both a Jaggesh and a Guruprasad film, unfortunately.

Oru Sarkar Ulpannam review: A socially relevant movie that highlights common people’s problems

Verdict

If you like humour that hits below the belt, Ranganayaka would definitely work for you. Else, you might want to steer clear of this.

(Views expressed here are personal.)