KGF: Chapter-1 Review: This one man show lives up to its hype 

Four years after his initial outing, Prashanth Neel returns with KGF: Chapter 1 which raises the bar for the Kannada film industry. The much-hyped film has some brilliant technical nuances that give it a lot of visual appeal. At the same time, Prashanth also manages to blend in some good commercial elements. Sprinkled with convincingly strong dialogues in Hindi and Kannada, the film completely rests on the shoulders of Yash. And the actor manages to strike the perfect balance between class and mass. 

Director: Prashanth Neel
Cast: Yash, Ananth Nag, Malavika Avinash, Vasishta Simha

KGF is set between 1951 and 1981. The story is narrated by a journalist (Ananth Nag) during his TV interview to Deepa (Malavika Avinash), and revolves around Raja Krishnappa Bairya aka Raja aka Rocky’s (Yash) experiences in the world of gold and gangsters. The plot which starts in Mumbai, travels to Bengaluru and reaches the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF).

During Raja’s growing years, his mother’s words are final. And before dying, she tells him, "I don’t  know how you will lead your life, but when you die, I want you to be the most powerful and rich man on earth." Thus, the emotional connect between mother and son grounds KGF’s story.

As Rocky undertakes his mission, vivid glimpses of the life of gangsters are portrayed on screen. Director Prashanth, also the writer of KGF, manages to show it all through one man, Rocky - the power, the greed and ambitions.

Since it’s a film in two parts, the director has taken the liberty of introducing the characters slowly and building the plot at its own pace. In fact, some of the characters who will be seen in the second part are only hinted at in the first.

The film showcases some engaging fights sequences, which reaches its peak during the climax. Kudos to art director Shiva Kumar for having brought alive KGF with the massive sets.

A one-man show, KGF solely belongs to Yash. He gets into the skin of the character — looks, style, expressions, dialogue delivery and even handling of weapon — with much ease. Despite Yash stealing most of the show, other characters are given adequate space. Debutante Srinidhi Shetty begins her stint in the industry on a good note, and hopefully, there’ll be more to come from her in the second part. A host of other actors have prominent roles, including Archana Jois, who plays the young mother, and Anmol who plays young Yash. Vasishta Simha, Acyuth Kumar, Malavika Avinash, Mita Vasisht, Ayyappa P Sharma and Ramachandra Raju provide the right kind of support.

Another highlight of KGF is the cinematography by Bhuvan Gowda, who sets the perfect tone and mood for the film. Ravi Basrur excels with his background score, and editor Srikanth deserves a mention for the tight package. Overall, KGF is an excellent mass entertainer, that leaves us in anticipation for Chapter II.