Shathaya Gathaya Review: An amateur revenge mystery

Though Shathaya Gathaya's runtime is a little less than two hours, it just doesn’t seem to end. With an illogical narrative that is said to be inspired from real-life issues, the film that will make you wonder if the new-age content that Kannada cinema has been producing in recent times, was just a phase.

Director Sandeep Gowda's revenge mystery will make you sit at the edge of your seat, only because of its inability to engage with the audience.

Director: Sandeep Gowda
Cast: Raghu Ramappa, Sonika Gowda

The film revolves around a series of murders taking place in Hirisave village, which the villagers believe have been committed by ghosts. The police department agrees with them. But the fact of the matter is that two youngsters are involved in the killings. And their motive for the murder, which leads us up to the climax, is to destroy the demons.  

What makes no sense is that even though the two boys take law into their own hands, the police let them off scot-free, believing they have done justice to society by getting rid of the evil.

Considering that it is a true story, it's a wonder that director Sandeep has not been able to make his film believable. Even basics, such as handling the camera, storyline, acting, lessons that one would assume would have been mastered before venturing into the industry, are lacking.

An amateur piece of work from every angle, even the performance of the lead actors Raghu Ramappa and Sonika Gowda is disappointing. Not to mention the supporting artistes. Even known faces such as Kuri Pratap, Govinde Gowda and senior actor Umesh, who have done better in their previous films, fail to make an impact, maybe since their roles are minuscule. Double entendres and sexist comedy scenes are forced into the film.  

Sitting through Shathaya Gathaya (meaning at any cost), one wonders why the film was only made. This film will only discourage audiences from watching films on the big screen. We suggest you skip this film at any cost, and this will be the best form of revenge.