Shivarjuna Movie Review: Chiranjeevi Sarja and a host of other actors are wasted in this inferior product

After making average box-office grossers like the romance, Male, and the commercial caper, Dhairyam, director Shiva Tejas’s third outing, Shivarjuna is laden with elements of run-of-the-mill action, crass comedy, mediocre acting, hackneyed script, and underutilised talent. He has put all this together to achieve the perfect debacle. Even the rising popularity of Chiranjeevi Sarja is unable to help Shivarjuna.

Cast: Chiranjeevi Sarja, Amrutha Iyengar, Akshata Srinivas, Sadhu Kokila
Director: Shiva Tejas

Shiva (Chiranjeevi Sarja) is often seen fighting with local thugs, which irks Bharavi Sindhuri (Tara), a strict officer living in the area. She also ensures that her son Shiva Nandi (Sri Krishna) does not get close to him until one day Nandi gets kidnapped. Shiva goes all out and safeguards her son. His concern for the two takes the audience to the flashback that is centred around two warring families, headed by Ramegowda (Avinash) and Rayappa (Ravi Kishen). Both are always at loggerheads, and Rayappa is on a lookout for Ramegowda's son only to kill him and end the family tree. But, he has been missing over the last 20 years. Will Ramegowda get to see his long lost son, and how are Sindhuri and her son connected to Ramegowda's family, is revealed through the narration. In parallel, there is the budding love between Rayappa's niece Paru (Amurtha Iyengar) and Shiva.

Shivarjuna consists of an ensemble cast including a host of comedians — Sadhu Kokila, Kuri Pratap, Vishwa Taranga, Shivaraj KR Pete, and Nayana. While the crux of the film unfolds only in the second half, the first half is filled with double entendres, loud scenes, and a lot of action. Akshata Srinivas, who plays a doctor, is merely used for glamour.

It is time Chiranjeevi analyses his caliber and selects subjects that suit his popularity. Even though he is a performer, the commercial actor should avoid trying to impress his fans with familiar plots. It is a fresh character for Amrutha Iyengar, who plays a village belle for the first time. Though senior actors Tara, Avinash, and Ravi Kishen have tried their best, they remain unimpressive due to the lacklustre script. The director has not made use of a fine actor like Kishore, who plays a key role in the film.

Technically too, the film fails. Most likely, the makers may themselves be clueless about the direction the film has taken after watching the final cut. Shivarjuna is a perfect example of a film that should not have been made.