Mr.Theertha Movie Review

Get High!

Nope, this Mr. Theertha is not the holy water you get in temples. Instead, this Mr.Teertha is akin to the well known Kannada slang for alcohol, as it churns out a heady concoction of all the elements of a typical masala movie. Cocktails, if taken too much, may not be well for the health; but you wouldn’t mind getting high in a while, do you?

Mr. Theertha is that kind of a film where emotions and erotica peacefully coexist, with some other elements like action, comedy, and love mixed to make it a reasonably enjoyable cocktail. It is the story of an angry young garage mechanic who repairs bikes and ravages baddies with breathtaking ease. He has an angrier old teacher as a father who routinely beats him up for not becoming a mathematician and choosing mechanics instead. So, the son grows up and routinely beats up everyone who stands in his way, and continues that tradition set by his beloved father. Some other villains, comedians and a completely needless, but perfectly enjoyable heroine land themselves right in the middle of this father-son tussle and voila! We have a decent commercial potboiler on our hands!

So, why should you watch this film which doesn’t even pretend to offer you anything new? Well, there are three reasons. The first and the most important of them is Sudeep. The man is having a ball in this mediocre flick and lifts it to an entirely new level by his sheer acting capabilities and mannerisms. His screen presence is captivating, his body language rocks and he’s simply among the best in the business today when it comes to acting. If nothing else, this film is watchable purely for Sudeep.

The second reason is Anant Nag. This supremely talented actor gets a meatier role after a long time and he shines throughout the film. Any other actor playing this role would have succumbed to histrionics, but not Anant Nag. The man carries this role with such dignity and such subtlety, that he makes you hate his character throughout the film without doing much. Now, that’s called acting.

But those folks who think acting is only for reviewers to see, here is the third reason; Saloni. Just when you start thinking that this babe is not at all needed in the film, she launches into a hot song with Sudeep and everything is forgiven and forgotten! She is beautiful and sensuous at the same time, and that’s a rare combination, which is used fully by director Sadhu Kokila.

Coming to Sadhu Kokila, his comedy is totally pointless for the film. It sometimes evokes laughter and some other times, it evokes sympathy for state of comedy in Kannada films. He has credited himself with story, screenplay and direction, but there are rumors that Mr. Theertha is a remake of a Malayalam film, Sphadikam.

Geetha return to the silver screen after a long time and she is ok. Shobharaj, Doddanna and company are perfect for their role.

Watch this Theertha for Sudeep, or if you like typical commercial potboilers and haven’t had your fill even after decades of watching such films.

-Movie Review By Raju Shanbhag