– Chetan Nadiger
Film: Gowri
Producer: Indrajith Lankesh
Director: Indrajith Lankesh
Starring: Samarjith Lankesh, Sanya Iyer, Sampath Maithreya, Manasi Sudhir, Sihikahi Chandru and others
Indrajith Lankesh has been in the showbiz for the last 20 years and has directed a few popular films. Indrajith is known for his stylish presentation and rich visuals and is called a show man. For the first time, the director has given a stylish film with a lot of substance in the form of his latest release ‘Gowri’.
This time Indrajith has opted for a very simple storyline. The film starts off with Gowri (Samarjith Lankesh) a village youth with hearing difficulties. Despite all the problems, he aspires to become a professional singer much against the wishes of his father who wants him to continue the profession of a folk singer. Meanwhile, Samantha (Sania Iyer) plans to build a musical band who have various disabilities. Samantha convinces Gowri to be a part of the band. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Indrajith who has the distinction of introducing many talents to the film industry including Deepika Padukone, has introduced his son Samarjith along with Sanya Iyer through ‘Gowri’. Indrajith has directed a few youth-centric films in the past. But this time he has bettered his record, as this is not just a commercial entertainer, but a film with a good message tucked in it. This time Indrajith has also seen to it that nothing unnecessary has been added and has made a short and crisp film.
The film has all the ingredients for Samarjith to showcase this talent. The actor is very good in dance and fights and his onscreen presence is good. ‘Gowri’ is a good launchpad for the actor who not only looks confident on screen, but is a talent to watch out for in the future. Sanya Iyer reveals that she is not just a glamour doll, but has the full potential to act. The film rests mostly on the shoulders of these two. The rest of the star cast including Sampath Maithreya and Mansi Sudhir have given ample support. There are a lot of cameo appearances including Yogi, Priyanka Upendra, Ricky Kej, Vasundhara Das, Akul Balaji and others and all the guests have done their bit. Music composer Jessie Gift and cinematographer A J Shetty shine. Dialogues by B A Madhu and Masthi Manju are good.
‘Gowri’ has nothing to do with journalist and activist Gowri Lankesh, but is a story of struggles of an aspirational singer. The film might not be a great one, but a decent watch for the entire family.
