Weighed down by messages

Nagareega Komaali
Genre: Social drama
Director: Ramji S.Balan
Cast: Jaishakthi, Neethasri, Bala Singh, Sabitha Anand and N.S.K.Anand.
Storyline: A family is ruined by greedy usurers and the young daughter set out to take revenge.
Bottomline: Too preachy

It is rather difficult for a debutant director to avoid the temptation of packing all his thoughts in his first venture. Ramji S. Balan, director of ``Nagareega Komaali" succumbs to the temptation.

The film discusses the Cauvery water issue, high interest rates, adulteration and many more, all in one breath.

Gopi (Jaishakthi) runs a cable TV network, called ``Komaali." As the title suggests comedy is the staple diet of the channel.

In a string of episodes, four persons, all loan sharks, fall unconscious and go into coma. Reason? They have been administered an overdose of morphine. Gopi comes to know that it is the handiwork of Kaveri and his channel features her. Predictably, he falls in love with her.

Jaishakti and NSK Rajan, grandsons of Surulirajan and N. S. Krishnan respectively join hands in this film. Jai is the hero Gopi while Rajan is the tea vendor who does an important role. Both have a long way to go in terms of acting. Neethasri from Bangalore looks good, but a tad too matured for the hero.

Bala Singh as father of the heroine and Sabitha Anand as the mother of the hero are adequate. Roshan Raj, Shanker, and Kumar acquit themselves well as the hero's friends.

Ramji Balan, in charge of story, screenplay, dialogue and direction has taken on the additional burden of music. The strain shows although two of the six numbers are melodious. The director has tried hard to link several issues and this takes its toll on the screenplay.

S. R. ASHOK KUMAR

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