Plot Summary – A corrupt police officer, Narayana, attempts to solve the mystery behind the treasure that has gone missing. However, Jayaram, a gang leader, places several obstacles in his way.

Language – Kannada

★★★★★ 

Watched on 28 Mar, 2021

I must have a soft spot for Rakshit Shetty in my brain cause in my eyes there is very little he can do wrong. Avane Srimannarayana (ASN) is the third film he wrote and what I love about him is that he explores a completely new genre and style for each film he writes. With ASN, he tackles the Western. In this Tarantino-inspired, hyper-stylized, fictional town of Amaravati, the design and cast of characters are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in an Indian film. If the characters didn’t look Indian and speak Kannada, you’d think this is a classic Hollywood Western. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous as this film captures life and experiences in this town in such a unique way. Rakshit’s script is so well-written and the richness of the language comes out the most here due to the stylized and antiquated Kannada being used. Some of the lines are so beautiful and poetic, I had to rewind just to hear them again. The action is also so fun in this film, where, in Ulidavaru Kandante, it was extremely raw and hardcore, the action in this is much more aesthetically pleasing, with a lot of slo-mo gunfights, it makes for a very entertaining runtime. You could tell that there was an easy 30 mins more of this film that had to be cut and I feel like the film could have benefited from that because the ending is solid but it feels rushed and not earned. Yet, you feel like forgiving the last 20 minutes because of the phenomenal 2 hours and 40 minutes preceding the ending. The score is absolutely mesmerizing as it captures the aesthetic of the film in auditory form perfectly and the two songs in the film feel like classics instantly. The acting performances by Rakshit’s usual crew are top-notch as expected and this film certainly won my heart over. Rakshit Shetty is a generational talent and whether it’s Punyakoti or Thugs of Malgudi, I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.