12 hours Ago By S Viswanath
Rishab Shetty started it all with Kantara. In the otherwise mundane film, global audiences witnessed the high-pitched climatic roar of bhoota kola for the first time..
To cash in on the newfound interest, musician-turned-director Ravi Basrur has created 'Veera Chandrahasa'..Basrur’s ear-drum-splitting epic historical tale of palace intrigue, shot as a traditional Yakshagana dance drama, is torturous at a film theatre.
.Veera Chandrahasa is a story from the Ashvamedhika Parva of the ‘Mahabharatha’. It tells the noble tale of an orphaned lad, who goes on to become the valiant and virtuous Veera Chandrahasa.
A plotting and ambitious minister, Dushtabuddhi, seeks to get rid of the man in order to take over the Kuntala kingdom. Basrur goes the full hog with the singular goal of bringing Yakshagana to moviegoers in all its revered glory..
He tries to follow the ‘Kantara’ formula of blending dance, music, dialogue, and elaborate costumes. .The film, as in a play, flits from one situation to the next.
The members of the cast attempt to outdo each other with full-throated exuberance and highly theatrical gestures. You wonder if you are watching a play or a film..
The over-the-top soundscape and theatrics make you wonder why the musician has turned into a film director..You sit through the migraine-inducing film, which runs for almost three hours, without any involvement or engagement.
.'Veera Chandrahasa' uses computer graphics and technology to recreate a theatrical play, reminiscent of early Indian cinema..
The film's offensive caricaturing of the Brahmins could ruffle some feathers..That a sequel on the cards simply sends shivers down one’s spine.
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