Kaagada Movie Review: Evokes old-school teenage romance

Set against a rural backdrop in 2005, a period where love mostly blooms through letters, the plot of Kaagada (which means letter in Kannada) bridges the gap between two teenagers from Hindu and Muslim communities. Ranjith Kumar Gowda's film tells the tale of Shivu (Adithya) and Ayesha (Ankita Jayaram), college students who navigate love amidst societal divides. Will their innocent romance endure? Watch Kaagada to uncover their fate.

Director: Ranjith Kumar Gowda

Cast: Adithya, Ankita Jayaram, Neha Patil, and Raja Balawadi

The film, which celebrates the simplicity of love, also deals with political and ego clashes, urging humanity's preservation. Beyond its romantic core, Kaagada also gets into the complexities of societal and religious tensions between Bairavakotte and Kemapanahalli, bravely tackling sensitive issues and urging reflection on religion's true essence amidst misunderstandings. While religions advocate compassion and universal brotherhood, Kaagada highlights the need for mindset shifts to preserve these core values.

With the director also serving as the writer of the film's story, screenplay, and dialogues, he has gone somewhere with the flow, bordering on the sensitivity of such inter-religious subjects. Performances in Kaagada are refreshing, with new faces Aditya and Ankita Jayaram delivering earnest portrayals of their characters. Raja Balawadi and Neha Patil are the two notable faces in the ensemble, which also includes college friends.

To conclude, Kaagada is a film with a straightforward storyline, which explores love and societal harmony, and with genuine performances. The film treads a familiar path but can still be considered a one-time viewing experience, as it evokes a nostalgic charm reminiscent of old-school romance where games like FLAMES measured love.