God father
Kannada (U/A)
Cast: Upendra, Soundarya Shreyasi, Katherine
Director: S Sriram
![Pretty pair: Upendra and Soundarya Shreyasi in God Father.]( "Pretty pair: Upendra and Soundarya Shreyasi in God Father.")
God Father is an out and out Upendra film. After Rajkumar and others, it is Uppi's turn to don three roles simultaneously. Continuing from Aarakshaka, the Real Star gets to explore his darker persona some more.
His toned body does little to mask his age but his frantic eyes, the restrained yet manic energy behind the dialogue delivery and acting, yes, acting, camouflage the shortcomings.
Upendra first impresses as Shivsagar, the smart tycoon. As Shiva, the consummate dancer suffering for no fault of his, the actor brushes aside all star trappings to remain consistent to the last scene. Actors like him are difficult to contain once they get going. But Sriram, like P Vasu before, uses the actor so well that it is worth a second dekko — even if it's a remake of the Tamil hit Varalaaru.
Once Uppi takes backstage, however, it's a struggle to retain interest — the loose ends are many. Soundarya Shreyasi makes a confident debut but is forced to wait for a meatier role to sink her teeth in. Her expressive eyes are an asset. Ditto the girls who play her friends.
But the same can't be said of those who are Uppi's friends.
Katherine is another porcelain doll whose lustre is not dimmed by shoddy make-up. And a plump Bhumika Chawla doesn't even get inside the eyeball between blinks !
The choreographers and fight masters acquit themselves well. Bhaskar's dialogues are where the money is. The sets and props are not utilised well. A R Rahman notches up another 'record' in the book, but doesn't deliver anything arresting.
God Father deserves attention for Upendra's performance, dramatic content, Soundarya's sweet smile and little else.
Kannada (U/A)
Cast: Upendra, Soundarya Shreyasi, Katherine
Director: S Sriram
God Father is an out and out Upendra film. After Rajkumar and others, it is Uppi's turn to don three roles simultaneously. Continuing from Aarakshaka, the Real Star gets to explore his darker persona some more. His toned body does little to mask his age but his frantic eyes, the restrained yet manic energy behind the dialogue delivery and acting, yes, acting, camouflage the shortcomings.
Upendra first impresses as Shivsagar, the smart tycoon. As Shiva, the consummate dancer suffering for no fault of his, the actor brushes aside all star trappings to remain consistent to the last scene. Actors like him are difficult to contain once they get going. But Sriram, like P Vasu before, uses the actor so well that it is worth a second dekko — even if it's a remake of the Tamil hit Varalaaru.
Once Uppi takes backstage, however, it's a struggle to retain interest — the loose ends are many. Soundarya Shreyasi makes a confident debut but is forced to wait for a meatier role to sink her teeth in. Her expressive eyes are an asset. Ditto the girls who play her friends.
But the same can't be said of those who are Uppi's friends.
Katherine is another porcelain doll whose lustre is not dimmed by shoddy make-up. And a plump Bhumika Chawla doesn't even get inside the eyeball between blinks !
The choreographers and fight masters acquit themselves well. Bhaskar's dialogues are where the money is. The sets and props are not utilised well. A R Rahman notches up another 'record' in the book, but doesn't deliver anything arresting.
God Father deserves attention for Upendra's performance, dramatic content, Soundarya's sweet smile and little else.