Eddelu manhunatha : movie review : Jaggesh rocks

Source: Bangalore Mirror

EDDELU MANJUNATHA
DIRECTOR: Guruprasad
ACTORS: Jaggesh, Yagna Shetty,
Tabala Nani, V Manohar

Anarrative that keeps you hooked, dialogues that take you from one laughing bout to another, music that refuses to fade away and excellent performances by the lead actors, make Eddelu Manjunatha, as claimed by its makers, one of Jaggeshs best films ever.

The popular devotional song on the Lord of Dharmasthala has been used as the title of this film. No doubt, most people are wondering if this is the first devotional/mythological film of Jaggesh. But the presence of Jaggesh himself, the self-confessed lazy actor, confirms that Eddelu Manjunatha (Wake Up Manjunatha) is a comic take on work-shy sloths.
Manjunatha aka Manja is a lazy b** whose only obsession is to drink. He manages to dodge all sorts of responsibility but still manages to lead a life he alone is content with. How he does it is narrated in a series of flashbacks while he spends time locked up in a hotel room with a blind film director. The contrast between the hardworking blind director and Manja himself is subtly revealed.

Manjas narration of his life and the incidents that appear are hilarious. Meanwhile, Manjas wife who is looking for him rescues him and the director from the hotel. But the duo get locked up again in Manjas 10x12 ft home. Manjas wife makes one last attempt to get him a job, but he is as disdainful of work as ever. The last few minutes in the movie, Manja realises he has led a worthless existence.

The film is held together by the hilarious dialogues penned by Guruprasad. A few of them may seem vulgar but Jaggesh somehow manages to mouth them in a way that seems perfectly normal. Even what seems funny has a tinge of sarcastic comment on society, life and Kannada films. Tabala Nani, as the blind director, looks real and gives a commendable performance . And so does Yagna Shetty who appears without makeup throughout.

Music by Anoop Seelin is of top quality. But it is a pity that two of the songs are used as bits. Even in other places a little more money could have polished the visuals. The climax is a little preachy and the film is dialogue heavy. But like good films, Eddelu Manjunatha comes back to haunt long after you have seen it.

Rating: ****