Date:03/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/03/stories/2006120301670200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

That worn out theme yet again

RUN-OF-THE-MILL KIND: Auditya plays Madan and Sameeksha is Urvashi in Madana

Madana (Kannada)

Cast: Auditya, Ramesh Bhat, Sameeksha and Sania

Director: Jai Jagadeesh

At the outset, Madana, a maiden directorial venture by artiste Jai Jagadeesh, reflects his admirable control over the medium and his shortcomings as a creative director and a responsible producer.

On the one hand, market compulsions of Kannada cinema and indifference to originality make a mockery of Jai Jagadeesh's stature in the cinema industry. On the other, he has chosen a worn out theme.

The theme, which is reminiscent of many blockbusters such as Kamal Hasan's Sigappu Rojagal, Rajesh Khanna's The Train and Simbu's Manmathan, has nothing new to offer either in content or in form. The run-of-the-mill story pretends to delineate human relationships at two levels simultaneously. It punctuates the virtues of Madan (Auditya) as a young man and glorifies him as a conscience-stricken lover.

It also deals with the perverted and diabolic ventures of Madan in raping and killing of young women to avenge his younger brother Putta's (Auditya) suicide at the behest of Vaishnavi (Sania).

Although clever screenplay, intelligent characterisation and theatrical situations struggle to provide some momentum to the movie, unmindful close-ups and morbid dialogues with scant respect for human relationships fail to conceal the film's purpose.

Though Auditya as Madan is appealing, it is Sameeksha who steals the show as innocent and frightened Urvashi.

K.N. Venkatasubba Rao