Danakayonu movie review: After Devadasa, Yogaraj creates Shankara!

Director: Yogaraj Bhat

Cast: Shankara (the Bull), Gowri (the cow), Biradara, Vijay, Priyamani, Rangayana Raghu, Suchendra Prasad

Wondering about the casting of the movie which includes a bull and the cow, that too in the lead? Well, after watching the latest creation of Yogaraj Bhat for almost two-and-a-half hours, they are undoubtedly the main protagonists and the rest in human forms are the supporting ones to them.

Unlike many of his earlier ventures which were more or less a lucky draw scenario – win some lose many affairs, this time Yogaraj Bhat comes with a clear mind talking about human sensitivity while using animal instincts, at its best. And, probably it is his best in the recent times. A brilliantly poised plot, the subject is certainly more than what meets the eye!

After the popular Rabbit which played the character called Devadasa in Bhat’s most successful commercial movie – Mungaru Male, now it’s the turn of ‘Shankara’ (bull) to outshine Devadasa.

Though it looks like another instant mix-masala attempt, the director has ended up with one of his most sensible projects so far. It all starts from the title ‘Danakayonu’ – for a layman it may be just about cowherd and one can even assume that it is to just pull the urban audience to theatre with a regular village centric story.

The senior cowherd played by Biradara and his gang are happy taking care of the animals belonging to the villagers, where they have camped for several years. All they own is one bull.

Insofar as the others – there is a chairman (Suchendra Prasad) who owns almost all the land in the village and another is the female protagonist (Priyamani) who wants to be a police constable at any cost. Apart from the only piece of land owned by her in the village after the chairman, she also owns a cow (Gowri) too! The other protagonist is our hero (Vijay) who is madly in love with the cow’s owner, and the bull is in love with the cow.

The plot takes a wild turn when the happy cowherds learn that their bull which could not impregnate a cow till then is worth no less than nine crores, for being a rare breed. Thereafter, everyone tries to ‘ride’ on the bull for their own purpose and the real instincts are revealed. It’s a lengthy ride and does test the patience along with Bhat’s undying characteristics of using exaggerated dialogues.

Harikrishna’s music is perfectly apt after a long time, and it is a pleasant treat to watch Priyamani at her best, and Vijay performing as real as any cowherd can be. But it is Biradara, who mesmerises with his brilliant and outstanding acting. 

Watch it as Bhat has served justice to the animals, and also to the animal instincts in all of us.