Thaakat Movie Review – Front Bench Paisa Vasool

Movie Review By Raju Shanbhag

There is something about the KSRTC buses. You hate them, you complain that they are old fashioned and yet; when you look at those red colored vehicles plying from one town to another, you can’t help but remembering the fond memories you might have had on those buses.

Vijay’s Thaakat, where the Kabbinada Manushya plays a bus cleaner, doesn’t boast of KSRTC buses. But the potpourri of feelings that you experience while watching the film are strikingly similar.

The novelty factor in the story of Taakat is probably as old as the invention of buses. But director M. S. Ramesh makes sure that Vijay and company make your ride as entertaining as possible even with this primitive storyline. Whenever the going gets boring, either Viji flexes his well toned muscles or Shubha Poonja flashes one of her drop dead gorgeous smiles. Who cares about bumpy roads when a muscle man and his matron are busy romancing each other and you get the best view of all the action?

The story of Taakat goes like this. Vijay is an orphan, muscle man, and a bus cleaner and Shubha Poonja is the daughter of the richest and most powerfully evil person in the village. If you haven’t already guessed the rest of the story, welcome to India!

But it’s the little idiosyncrasies in the film that you keep you interested till the end. The bus features numerous characters that travel in the same route every day. There is Mandya Ramesh who plays a eunuch (handled surprisingly well by the director), there is a tottering drunkard who is revoltingly unhygienic, and there are a bunch of middle aged Anganawadi teachers who carry on their secret love affairs with the middle aged driver and conductor of the bus (again, no cheap jokes here).

And then, there is Avinash. In one of his best roles in the recent times, Avinash plays the only educated person in the village who bullies everyone because he knows English! But at the same time, he lends a helping hand to anybody who needs some help in government matters. He simply sizzles in that role.

But the show, ladies and gentlemen, belongs to Vijay and Vijay only. The guy is not among the most beautiful faces around; but he has a rustic charm that translates into an arresting screen presence. His dialogue delivery is unique and his fighting (however bizarre they might look) is top notch. And the best part is, Vijay has been only playing characters that suit his image and appearance, at least until now.

Shubha Poonja doesn’t have much to do other than hanging around and admiring Vijay. If the off screen rumors surrounding this on screen couple is anything to go by, she simply wouldn’t have any problems in getting into the skin of her character! Ah, and did we forget to tell you that this gal is among the most beautiful faces in Kannada today?

Rangayana Raghu and Shobharaj do well in their roles of evil villains. As usual, Rangayana Raghu has a shade of humor laced over his role which he essays with alarming ease. The cinematography is standard Gandhinagar fare and the music by Gurukiran is good.

On a whole Thaakat is a paisa vasool film if you don’t mind seeing the same story for the 500^th time!