Avane Srimannarayana Movie Review: This cop fantasy-thriller is a fun-filled ride

Avane Srimannarayana Movie Review: This cop fantasy-thriller is a fun-filled ride

The universal theme of the movie is sure to make it appeal to audiences across the country
Rating:(3.5 / 5)

After a wait of nearly three years, Rakshit Shetty's comeback Avane Srimannarayana is finally here, and how!
 
Rama Rama Tusu Daksha Vruta Jaripa — these six jumbled words, often repeated in the film, hold the key to the treasure a lot of characters in the film are hunting for, including stepbrothers Jayarama (Balaji Manohar) and Tukaram (Pramod Shetty). The stepsons of dacoit chief Rama Rama (Madhusudhan Rao), who belong to the Abhira tribe, are eyeing the throne and they have harboured hatred for each other for years. It worsens when Rama Rama dies without naming a successor. Whoever finds the treasure, will be the next Abhira chief. This is the base story of Sachin Ravi's Avane Srimannarayana.

Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Shanvi Srivastava, Balaji Manohar, Pramod Shetty, and Acyuth Kumar
Director: Sachin Ravi


This fantasy treasure hunt is set in the fictional town of Amaravati. The film's title Avane Srimannarayana is inspired by a scene from Puneeth Rajkumar's Bhakta Prahalada, and boy is it filled with a lot of theatrical moments. Watch out for Rakshit's massy entry scene, as he barges out to whistles and hoots as Narayana, the goofy and free-spirited stylish cop, wielding his a favourite gun, Handsup.

The film is filled with quirky and vivid characters like Narayana's assistant and police constable Achyuthanna (Achyuth Kumar), Krishna (Rishab Shetty) from the Cow Boy club, reporter Lakshmi (Shanvi Srivastava), and bandmaster (Gopal Deshpande).

It is the drama troupe that drops clues to the treasure through lines from their mythological play. How Narayana cracks each of them has been written and picturised interestingly.

Sachin's directorial venture, which has several references to mythology, gives the audience many elements to chew on. Avane Srimannarayana is divided into three parts — refusal of the call, the transformation of the goofy cop into a hero, and Narayana's changeover into a legend.

This is Rakshit's show all the way, and the actor's presence lights up each frame. Rakshit, who has been part of the writing team with the other Seven Odd members, has brought in a lot of interesting elements. It is safe to say that the actor, known for adding his signature style to his characters, hasn't disappointed his fans. Avane Srimannarayana could have been a serious movie, but Rakshit as Naryana, the chilled out cop, makes it a lot of fun.

Rakshit, along with Achyuth Kumar, displays good comic timing. There is hardly any romance in the film, and Shanvi’s Lakshmi is not just a love interest here. She is a reporter, who is against Narayana, and she plays a crucial part in propelling the story forward. Shanvi's efforts to dub for her role have indeed paid off. Balaji Manohar, the seven-foot-tall antagonist, Pramod Shetty, and the host of fresh faces are all impressive as well.

Though the performances of all the actors are great, the film is not devoid of flaws. The length — 3 hours and 6 minutes — is the main drawback of this film. It seems like Sachin, who is also the editor of Avane Srimannarayana, was worried that chopping scenes would affect the narrative. But for the viewers, it becomes a strenuous exercise to sit through.

However, the visuals of the film completely justify the duration. The efforts of the art department must be lauded, especially for coming up with huge sets of the fictional town. The costumes — inspired by Hollywood films — also deserve a mention as a lot of detail has been put into each one.

Cinematographer Karm Chawla has done an equally impressive job with his lighting. The background score by music director Ajaneesh B Lokanath is apt and the songs composed by Charan Raj do not hinder the story.

The universal theme of the movie makes it suitable for a pan-India audience and it is sure to work well in other languages as well. Though the film is high on action, this is balanced out by the hilarious comedy sequences. 

This ‘too-long’ a film is a battle of good and evil, relevant in today's times. Avane Srimannarayana can get interesting if you can decode Rama Rama Tusu Daksha Vruta Jaripa before Narayana reveals it.

Avane Srimannarayana has set new standards for the Kannada film industry and henceforth, Kannada films will be valued based on the following context — Before Avane Sriman Narayana and After Avane Sriman Narayana.

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