Shiva 143 Movie Review: A bang-on debut for Dheeren Rajkumar

Shiva 143 is the launch pad for Sandalwood matinee icon Dr Rajkumar’s grandson Dheeren Ramkumar. A youthful love drama, Shiva 143 is not a story about eternal love or an adorable romance between lead actors. The film is a complete entertainment package, which has ample measures of action, dance, drama, bloodshed, and some comedy too.

Cast: Dheeren Ramkumar, Manvita Kamath, Charanraj, Avinash

Director: Anil Kumar

A faithful remake of Telugu hit, RX 100 (2018), Shiva 143 follows the same pattern as the original and has enough changes to suit the Kannada nativity.

The entry of Shiva (Dheeren Ramkumar) with the signature tune of Shivarajkumar’s ’Om’ — I Love You, You must love me — kickstart things. Shiva lives life on his own terms and is shown waiting for someone for the past 3 years. He is a volatile person, and the reason for this behaviour is explored in the flashback. We see the story of two passionate lovers — Shiva and Madhu (Manvitha Kamath) — whose romance is cut short, and the two part ways due to family pressure. Madhu heads to the US but Shiva continues to wait for his love. But there is a plot twist to the tale that is unveiled in the second half, which turns this romantic film into a revenge drama with a bloody ending.

Just like the original film directed by Ajay Bhupathi, Shiva 143 too has gone with an intimate romance coupled with moments of gore and bloodshed. The Kannada version too has a slow start but gets into its own pace in the second half. Anil Kumar’s Shiva 143 is packaged perfectly for a debutant, who wants to showcase his mass and talent to the audience.

In his debut film, Dheeren Ramkumar looks confident and makes a strong impact right in his first project. Not wanting to go with the usual chocolate boy image, Dheeren gives us a rugged hero, who has the potential to make a mark in Sandalwood by choosing the right scripts.

Manvita Kamath, who is known for her roles in Kendasampige and Tagaru, provides an edge to the film, and she does a commendable job of playing a rather unconventional role. Charanraj, who plays Shiva’s foster father, comes up with a noteworthy performance. He is ably supported by Avinash, who plays Madhu’s father. Puneeth Rudranag as the antagonist is on point, and on the comedy front, Chikkanna is a breath of fresh air, but Sadhu Kokila delivers a largely forgettable track.

To sum up, Shiva 143, is a decent launch for Dheeren Ramkumar, who scores high with his very first attempt at becoming the next big star from the Rajkumar family.