Adavi – Review

Ram Gopal Varma is known for making typical films and in most of the films he tries to horrify the audiences but hardly succeeds in his attempts. In his latest film Agyaat he has introduced Nitin in Bollywood with Priyanka Kothari opposite him. The Telugu dubbed version Adavi was also released the same day, with Nattikumar as producer under the banner of Visakha Talkies.

A film unit goes to a forest to shoot a film. JJ (Harvey Rosemeyer) the director, considers himself as India"s answer to Steven Spielberg. Sharman (Gautam Rode) is the hero of that film, while Aasha (Priyanka Kothari) is the heroine. Sujan (Nitin) is the assistant director, while Sameera (Rasika Duggal) is his assistant. While Sameera has a crush on Sujan, the latter silently loves Aasha, but doesn"t dare to reveal his love. As it is an action film, the stunt master Raka (Ravi Kale) joins the team, besides Lakshman (Ishteyak Khan) the cinematographer. Murthy (Ishrat Ali) is the producer of the film.

The unit members reach the forest by plane and Sharman, being a hero, tries to dominate every minute. He threatens to leave the place but could not do so as he comes to know that plane service to that place would be only twice a week. They reach a particular place where the film was supposed to be shot. However, the camera gets damaged and the cinematographer tells the producer that to bring another one which would take some days. As there is no work, the forest guide, Setu (Joy Fernandes)agres to take them inside the forest.The crew reaches a secluded but beautiful place.

While they enjoy the picturesque place they hear a wild cry and to their surprise, they find Setu killed in a gory manner. With the forest guide himself killed, they do not know how to return and they start trying to reach their base camp. Even as they start running, producer Murthy also gets killed. A few minutes later, director JJ also dies in a gory manner atop a high tree. Nobody in the unit knows who is behind the murders. As they start running for their life, Lakshman gets injured in a freak accident and Sharman and Raka fight with each other. As Lakshman is sure that he can"t walk and the unit members are not willing to move without him, he commits suicide by stabbing himself.

In a fit of anger Sharman threatens to kill Raka with a bolder, but leaves him at the behest of Sujan. But Raka in a fit of anger kills Sharman with the same boulder. At that time, they hear a sound from behind. Raka who believes that he is a great fight master dares that unknown power to face him. That force pulls Raka into the ground and blood starts oozing from ground giving a feel that he is killed to the other unit members. With all the other members dead, only Sujan, Aasha and Sameera remain alive.

Unable to run any more, Sameera jumps from a hillock and commits suicide, leaving Sujan and Aasha. As there is no hope of life, Sujan reveals his love towards Aasha and she too accepts his love. Now, the love game begins as both of them decide to save each other for the sake of love. In the climax, Sujan realises that the unknown power fears water and they reach a stream and goes in the way it flows and finally reach a place where there are some people, who recognise Aasha. The film ends there abruptly, with a notice by the director that there is a sequel to this film called Adavi-2.

PLUS:
The screenplay of the film has loose ends, but has some fine gripping scenes. The director succeeds in his attempt to keep the audiences sit on the edge of the seats to know what is going to happen. In this aspect alone, he has succeeded. But for this gripping movement, the film had nothing much to claim as highlight. Priyanka Kothari"s glamour is another major attraction for the mass and young audiences. She has appeared in bikinis to lure the gullible mass audiences. Nitin, appears with eight pack body in a couple of songs, has nothing much to offer in terms of performance. Camera work and photography is okay but not great. Music is average as the tunes are not that catchy. The background score is also pretty average as it has failed to elevate the scenes much.

MINUS:
Lack of comedy and entertainment is the basic drawback of the film. Though the audiences should not expect comedy in a horror film, there should be some kind of relief and entertainment. With the entire film shot in the forest backdrop, there is nothing much to watch in the background, but for the close-up shots of the camera, with a view to terrorize or thrill the audiences. It is not known, how a film unit, including hero, heroine, cinematographer, stunt master and producer decide to stay in the forest with the help of a lone forest guide.

REMARKS:
It is quite surprising why Ramgopal Varma makes such films with no entertainment values. Especially, he might have plans to thrill the audiences with typical subjects, but cannot do so in reality. It appears that Ramgopal Varma does not know how to end the film as he doesn"t have the script completely ready. Hence he has made an announcement about the sequel, leaving the audiences in suspense.

Cast: Nitin, Priyanka Kothari, Gautam Rode, Rasika Duggal, Ishteyak Khan, Ishrat Ali, Ravi Kale, Harvey Rosemeyer, Kali Prasad Mukherjee, Joy Fernandes and others

Credits: Presents – Visakha Talkies, Producer – Nattikumar, Producers of Original Hindi version – Ram Gopal Varma, Ronnie Screwvala, Story, screenplay and direction Ram Gopal Varma

Banner: UTV Motion Pictures and Dream Force Enterprise.

Released on: August 7, 2009