Movie Review: ‘Jabardasth Shankara’ stands apart among Stereotypes
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru, Nov 12, 2019: Arjun Kapikad starrer ‘Jabardasth Shankara’ is an eminently watchable Tulu drama film. Departing from Tulu stereotype of overdose of comedy, this Jalanidhi production carries you through its 127 minutes keeping a tight grip on your senses with a heavy dose of slapstick comedy, complicated-if-convoluted plotting and extravagant fight sequences.
With five fight scenes adding up to 20 minutes of screen time, it’s said to be the max for any Tulu flick so far. You’ll see a lot to bodies crashing, bones breaking and skulls cracking. And of course only one man gets to do it all – the ‘King of Action’ Arjun Kapikad, playing two characters for a change.
‘Jabardasth Shankara’ takes you into two worlds – one present and down-to-earth; the other feudal, old world, earthy. But the movie is fair to both worlds in dividing the story into two equal halves – before and after the interval.
Arjun Kapikad plays the protagonist, a simple and straight forward young man freshly after a damsel. Quite circumstantially he realizes that he is being mistaken for somebody else – a mysterious entity – something which threatens to destroy his life in unimaginable ways.
How he unravels the mystery, saves himself and the world he lives in is where the story begins. The director of the film, veteran actor Devadas Kapikad, and another veteran actor Sai Krishna Kudla give him company to form a comical trio.
The two female leads Rashi Balakrishna and Neeta Ashok are ravishingly beautiful and give a fine performance as romantic interests. Satish Bandale as the arch villain is a delightful caricature, while Pratik Shetty playing his Hindi babbling son is menacing. Mumbai born Shetty proved his talent as a south Indian villain in this movie.
Veterans Laxman Mallur and Gopinath Bhat too have important roles. Manikanth Kadri’s music is riveting. Location shooting on two breathtaking Guthu houses arouses awe for our ancient splendour.