Poornachandra Tejaswi’s literature has been brought to life by well known directors in Kannada cinema earlier. But when a debutante director like Shashank Soghal took up a popular story of Tejaswi to make a cinema, there were apprehension whether he could do justice to the film and literature or not?
But Shashank in his debut film has done a great job by bringing the essence of the story, premise and the characters perfectly on the screen. He makes the audience feel that they are reading the story once again.
‘Daredevil Musthafa’ is set in the imaginative small town of Abacharu somewhere in Chickmagalur District. Though everything is fine in the outset, the town is suffering from communal harmony between Hindus and Muslims for various reasons.
Read More: See how Poornachandra Tejaswi’s Musthafa looks on screen
The story opens in Abachur PU College when Jamal Abdul Musthafa Hussain joins the college for first year PUC. He is the lone Muslim student in the college and has got admission in spite of various hindrances. Even after the admission, everything is not smooth sailing for Musthafa as he has to face a stiff conflict with Ramanuja Iyengar and friends. Every time, the gang pulls him down, the more he emerges victorious. How will this rivalry end between Musthafa and Ramanuja forms the crux of the film?
Though the story seems to be very simple, it is quite complex because of a burning issue and a hard hitting message. Shashank has presented the film in a simple way and has stayed true to essence of the story. He has brought to screen a popular story from a very popular author without any distortion and his honest attempt is the highlight of the film. In spite of a burning issue, the humour is intact.
Shashank has not only given importance to story and narration, but also about all aspects of the film including the characters, costumes and sets. The film mainly revolves around a new bunch of actors, particularly Musthafa (Shishir Balkady) and Ramanuja Iyengar (Aditya Ashree). Both of them shine and mark their presence in their first big outing.
Not only the two, other actors including M S Umesh, Mandya Ramesh, Sundar Veena, Nagabhushana, Harini, Poornachandra Mysore have given adequate support with their performances. Navaneeth Sham’s background music and Rahul Roy’s cinematography are the other things to watch out for. Except for the fact that the film is a bit lengthy and could have been trimmed a little, the audience can’t find many defects in the film.
‘Daredevil Musthafa’ is a not only an entertainer, but a relevant film in today’s scenario. Don’t miss it.
