Director: S Narayan
Cast: Nishanth, Rinku Rajguru
An official remake of the Marathi hit film 'Sairat', the film is a slight 'technically' improvised version in Kannada as Manassu Mallige, which is as good as serving old wine in a recycled bottle. But the wine still tastes good barring the original pure 'aroma'.
It can be an uncomfortable experience for those who have already watched Sairat, but as it is done for those who are completely alien to the original, it is still a good and an important attempt which deserves to be retold.
The core subject of it is nothing new to the Kannada audience. In fact, there have been several films made on the similar lines highlighting the ruthless caste system and honour killings which reportedly still exists in some parts of our nation. The director of this remake version had even remade one such in the past which saw the emergence of two star actors in 'Cheluvina Chittara'. This can be even termed as a mash-up of the two remakes - Sairat and Cheluvina Chittara.
So, what made the director choose another similar version, to work it and re-present it to the Kannada audience. The answer probably lies in Sairat, for which it is brilliantly made with the perfect innocence of the characters coupled with great music, and especially ending on a high 'emotional' note.
The shorter version of the original makes it lengthier to watch even with excessive technical usage such drone cameras for aerial scenes and graphical insertions, which is the trademark of S Narayan's direction. The best part is again the female protagonist played by Rinku but the choice to use her voice is a slight drawback giving an unnatural impression though the actress and the director should be applauded for the risk taken. Nishanth, who makes his debut, has more or less a smiling appearance and needs a bit of work on serious aspects of his acting.
As a whole, it has what a decent, good film should have - a sensible story, decent making, lovely performances, and soothing music. All is well, if it ends well!
There is an unwritten rule which says to never remake a super hit film and that it has always proven to be right, Manassu Mallige falls in a different league for its end. Know nothing about Sairat, then S Narayan will not disappoint your weekend entertainment.
