Starring: Duniya Vijay, Shuba Punj, Somanna Jaadar, Komal, Sundar Raj, Master Rakesh, Somanna Jaadar,
Shobha Raghavendra, Sundar Raj
Director: S. Narayan
Producer: S. Narayan
Music Dir: S. Narayan
Lyricist: S. Narayan
Singers: Shaan, K.S. Chithra, Kumar Sanu, Shreya Ghoshal, S. Narayan, Karthik, Kunal Ganjawala,
Madhu Balakrishnan, L.N. Shastri
Genre: Action Drama Romance

Synopsis

Kariya (Vijay) is black, uncultured and uneducated. He is a ruffian who will fight and beat up anyone whom he thinks deserves to be beaten up. He bathes once a month, and everyone complains about how he smells. He drinks the local alcohol brew, and gambles. He decides he wants to go to college, where he becomes friendly with Sunil, who has come as a new admission. During one class, Vinay, a boy sitting behind Swapna (Shuba Punj) slips a piece of paper into her book. At the end of the class, when Swapna is coming out, she drops that piece of paper. Kariya, who is just behind her sees it, picks it up, runs after her and grabs her by the arm, and gives her the piece of paper, which says ?Swapna I love you?. She reads it, and thinks it?s from Kariya, not knowing that he can neither read nor write. One of her uncles, a rowdy (because Swapna?s father is the local Don), who has come in the car to collect her, sees this, and is justifiably angry at seeing his niece being manhandled by Kariya. He reads what is written, and like Swapna, assumes that it was written by Kariya, and attacks him. Kariya defends himself, and beats up the uncle, who as a result has to be hospitalised. Swapna?s father is furious, and sends more rowdies to kill Kariya, who has been hidden in his village by his mother. Two more of Swapna?s uncles come looking for him, and attack his mother, saying they will rip off her clothes. Kariya hears her cries, and comes and beats up the other two uncles, who also have to be hospitalised. Kariya then goes to Swapna?s father to apologise, but says he was innocent, he did not write the letter, and he merely defended himself and his mother from attack. It is then discovered that Vinay had written the note to Swapna, and he is brought before Swapna?s father, and in fear of what will be done to him, he commits suicide by stabbing himself with a knife.
At college, the Principal give Swapna a row for wrongly causing all the problems for Kariya. She writes ?Sorry? on a piece of paper, but he is unable to read, and enlists the help of his friend, Sunil. She keeps coming after him, showing him the piece of paper with ?Sorry?. Then she starts to try to civilise him, and she stops him drinking and gambling, and eventually makes him promise that he will stop beating up people. During this process, she tells him that she love him ? he does not know what love is about, but eventually realises that he is in love with her. He comes to her house to ask for her in marriage. But she tells him that she was not in love with him, that it was all a charade. He had hurt her uncles physically, and she was now hurting him emotionally. Kariya is broken-hearted, and goes back to her house to tell her she has won, that he cannot live without her. Her father, however, has called the police, and they come and arrest Kariya, and take him away to be tortured.... To see what happens next, watch this film.

Songs:
1. Gundene Dyavru
2. Savi Savi
3. Yenaitho Nangenayaitho
4. Nee Chendaane
5. Hogonammi
6. Hogu Manase

Released Year: 2007
Running Time: 155 minutes/Colour/Kannada


Review

This is a typical Indian Love Story ? except it?s ?the other way round? Usually it?s the poor boy who falls in love with the rich girl. But in this case, it?s the rich girl who falls in love with the poor boy. One of Swapna?s classmates puts a love-letter for her in her book, Kariya gets the blame, and is attacked by Swapna?s family. Kariya is an uneducated ruffian, ready to fight, and always a winner. Swapna feels sorry that Kariya has been falsely blamed, and keeps trying to say ?sorry?. Then she falls in love with him, and gradually reforms him, stops him gambling, drinking and eventually makes him promise not to beat up people. And eventually he falls in love with her too, but has no understanding of the concept of love, at first.
But all is not what it seems. Deep down, Kariya has good qualities. And rich, cultured, educated Swapna is the daughter of a ruthless don. There are several twists in this tale, that keep you guessing right up to the surpise ending.
The film is well directed, and well acted, and the songs are great. Gundene Dyavru introduces Kariya showing his life-style. Savi savi, Yenaitho Nangenayaitho and Nee Chendaane are delightful duets with Kariya and Swapna, with the use of computer generated graphics ? birds, bubbles, butterflies, floating heart symbols, fantasy sets. Hogonammi is a duet with other dancers, and tractors added! In Hogu Manase, Kariya is in despair, trying to understand what has happened to his love. The Director, or the Costume Department (or both) deserve praise for the costumes in the songs. Sometimes the costumes are simple, sometimes elaborate, but the use of colour, and of the contrast in colour between costumes in the same scene, and in the next scenes is very effective. Sometimes the contrasts are subtle, sometimes they are between different vibrant colours (particularly in Hogonammi).

This is a film well worth watching.

Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!]