Sanju Weds Geetha - Movie Review

Sanju Weds Geetha has been inspired by late actor-cum-director Shankar Nag's hit film Geetha and it is dedicated to him only. Director Nagashekhar's selection of story is really wonderful. Although the story demands slow-paced narration, the director is successful in making it faster by including a few comedy and action sequences in the middle. It is a wonderful effort by Nagashekhar, but he could have been even more successful if he had avoided a few unjustifiable sequences.

Sanju Weds Geetha is a tragic love story and Srinagar Kitty and Ramya's superb performance is main attraction of the film. It is wonderful mixture of commercial elements. Jessi Gift's music, Satya Hegde's picturisation, comedy sequences, beautiful locations, costumes art direction, Ravi Varma's stunts and dialogues are the other highlights of the film. For success of all this element, Nagashekhar takes the first credit for making a careful selection of everything.

The story of Sanju Weds Geetha is set in 1997 and it runs to till date. The movie has three plots and main plot deals with the story of two lovers. It is all about lovers, whose life turns tragic despite getting the consent of the parents for their marriage because their fate plays spoilsport in the life. The story is really heart touching and Nagashekhar should be applauded for making it a wonderful presentation on screen. The movie also highlights the tradition of Koduva.

In the first half, the romantic and comedy sequences have been mixed very nicely and this fusion helps the director to keep the pace of the story faster and viewers completely absorbed in the story. But in the middle of second half, he has used another plot, which distracts the attention of viewers. The narration seems to be hitting a rough patch all of a sudden. But it soon picks up and takes the viewers on jolly ride. The climax is so heart touching, but viewers refuse to accept it because it has some arbitrary scenes.

The hero Sanju (Srinagar Kitty) is a ninth rank holder in CS Engineering from Mysore University. As he returns to his native Virajpeth after completing his studies, he falls in love with a girl called Geetha (Ramya). Meanwhile, he gets a job offer from American-based company. Despite knowing that she has been raped in her childhood, he comes forward to marry her. But on the day of their wedding, she is raped again. And this rape leads him to commit a murder and go to jail. What happens next will form an interesting part of the film.

Nagashekhar has made a careful selection of character for which he should be applauded again. Lead actors Srinagar Kitty and Ramya have delivered an excellent performance and their onscreen chemistry is so heart touching that youths are completely carried away by it. Sharan's comedy is refreshing to the sad minds and there is no nonsense in it as usually it used to be. Other comedians like Sadhu Kokila, Nani and Bullet Prakash are also good in their respective roles. Rangayan Raghu and Doddanna have serious roles and they have nothing to do with the comedy. Suhasini, Sharath Lohitashwa and Jai Jagadish have done wonderful acting. But as hero's mother, Umashree does not have much focus and she completely remains inactive. Nagashekhar should be blamed for this. If he had given little concentration on her role, her role would have heightened the effect of main theme of the film even more.

Sanju Weds Geetha is an interesting film because besides good script, it has sound technical elements. Jessi Gift has composed wonderful music for it. All the songs are good and their placement is also excellent. Especially, 'Gaganave Bagi...' and title track 'Sanju Weds Geetha...' are very melodious and are already successful in winning the heart of music lovers. Background score is also good. Especially in the rape scene, it heightens the emotions of audience. Selection of locations, costumes, make up and art work for songs is simply superb. Sathya Hegde's camera zooms in, out and makes lots of magic to touch the heart of viewers. It is the third main attraction of the film.

The movie is not out of shortcomings. It has too many dramatic and illogical sequence and many of them can not be avoided. The story teller has chosen a few sequences arbitrarily. Sanju's nephew (Sharan) tells him at the beginning that Geetha's uncle (Sharath Lohithashwa) is a famous criminal lawyer. But nowhere he appears wearing a lawyer's getup, even when his son-in-law is arrested. Moreover, one can not stop raising doubts many things. Why does he remain inactive when Sanju is convicted for killing Geetha's rapist? If it was not possible to get a bail for him, why his efforts are not shown on the screen? In the end, he gets the bail all of a sudden. How he gets the bail is not shown. It all looks so dramatic, funny and arbitrary.

In a nutshell, whatever may be the shortcomings, they do not stop viewers enjoying the movie, which comes as a rain shower in this horrid summer season. It touches the human heart and makes the viewers shed tears. The movie should be watched for Nagashekhar's wonderful script and direction, Kitty-Ramya's acting and its superb technical values. Please don't miss it to watch this weekend.

Producer: Pramod Narayan and Murali Mohan

Director: Nagashekhar

Cast: Srinagar Kitty, Ramya, Suhasini, Sharan, Jai Jagadish, Sharath Lohithashwa, Umashri, Nani, Bullet Prakash, Rangayan Raghu, Sadhu Kokila

Music: Jessi Gift