Katari Veera Surasundarangi Review – A visually arresting entertainer

Upendra and Ramya's Katari Veera Surasundarangi is the biggest-ever 3D film made in Kannada till date. With spectacular visuals and Uppi's one-liners, the audience ignore the fact that the story is unimpressive. Also, the Golden Girl has come out with flying colours in her classy avatars.

Story:
Upendra (Upendra) enters the hell after being killed by a don (Ajay). He creates furore at the Yama Loka, as he fearlessly wins the Yamadharmraja over an argument. Nonetheless, he decides to be in the hell to enjoy the thrill of watching people getting punished for their sins and meets his father Mohan (Upendra) of Rakta Kaneeru. At this juncture, he comes across the daughter of Lord Indra, Indraja played by Ramya, who lives in the heaven. Her beauty makes his world upside down and he falls in love. It does not take much time for her to okay his proposal despite facing opposition from her father as well as other demigods. The challenges that they face form the crux of the story.

Katari Veera Surasundarangi is technically astounding and visually arrests the audience. Kannadigas, who have not seen 3D Sandalwood film in the last two decades, will be thrilled to experience the joy of watching the film in this format. The colourful sets, glamorous costumes and rich overall appeal leave a lasting impression on the audience. Having said that the story of the film is not commendable, the first half is passable but the second phase is boring at parts. The length of the second half could have been reduced, as it will remain the biggest flaw of Katari Veera Surasundarangi.

It is a tailor-made role for Uppi, who shines in dual avatars (Uppi and Mohan). Especially, his stand-in Yamadharmraja character and dialogue on small-mistakes get a huge round of applause. His co-star Ramya, as I mentioned above, draws the viewers attention with her elegant costumes. In fact, it is an eye-pleasing experience to watch her in the role of Indraja. The solo track Parijaata adds colour to her role. Ambareesh is excellent in the role of Yamadharmaraja. Doddana and Tennis Krishna does not have great lines to mouth and they are wasted. Sridhar and Ajay are okay. Muthappa Rai has a special role and it is designed as a message-oriented character. Sudeep has lent his voice for introductory part and Suman Ranganathan, Ramanitu Chaudhary and Rishika Singh appear in 'Oo la la...' track.

On the technical aspect, V Harikrishna's three songs are good. 'Ambica...', 'Muthinantha...' and 'Paarijatha...' are our picks. HC Venu's cinematography is illuminating and the special effects department has done a great job. Director Suresh Krishna could have made it a better project if he had spent more time on the screenplay.

Verdict: I give 6.5 out of 10 for Katari Veera Surasundarangi for the 3D version. Worth watching only in the 3D format.