Dubai Babu Kannada

Starring: Upendra, Nikita Thukral, Saloni Aswani, Kumar Govind, Dwarakish, M.S. Umesh, Sathyajith,
Tennis Krishna, Sihi Kahi Chandru, Sadhu Kokila
Director: Naganna
Producer: Shailendra Babu
Music Dir: V. Shridhar
Lyricist: Upendra, Kaviraj, V. Sridhar
Singers: Kumar Sanu, Karthik, Upendra, Hariharan, Anuradha Bhat, V. Sridhar
Distributor: Sri Sri
Genre: Romance, Thriller, Action

Remake of Dubai Seenu (Telugu)

Synopsis

The film starts with a meeting of gangsters, ending in a police shoot-out. It seems they are looking for a notorious don, Jinnah Bhai (Aryan Vaid), who is not present in this meeting, but whom we meet later. Then we see Radio Jockey, Vasundhara (Nikitha Thukral) in her show as an RJ at Radio Mirchi. Then we see her at home with her family, when her elderly uncle Police Inspector Kaalaiya (Ramesh Pandit), accompanied by his sidekick, Manjaya, arrives. It seems he is determined to marry Vasu, who does not want to marry him. Then we see Babu (Upendra) arriving by train, taking an auto-rickshaw to the airport, pretending to have just arrived by air, and met by his buddy, Thirumoorthy (Sadhu Kokila), and taken home, where he gets a warm welcome from his sister and her two children, a less warm welcome from her husband, and a somewhat hostile welcome from his grandmother. He tells Moorthy that he has fallen in love with the daughter of a Mumbai don, and that he is looking for her in Bangalore. He shows Moorthy a picture of Vasu, and tells him that because of their affair, her father had sent her to India. Then he sees Vasu in her uncle’s police jeep, and chases and catches up with it. He addresses her as Vasu, but she claims she does not know him. He finds out where she works, and goes, with Moorthy, to the Radio Station, where he is mistaken for a celebrity who is to be interviewed on air. He is shown into the studio, and tells the story that he is in love with a girl who claims she does not recognise him. Vasu skilfully stops him from telling the full story, and from revealing her identity as the girl he loves.
Later is is revealed that he never went to Dubai, but he and the friends who were with him, were cheated out of their money in Mumbai. That is where he met Vasu.
The rest of the film reveals what happened in Mumbai, what the relevance of Jinnah Bhai is, what happens to Babu’s romance with Vasu, and is full of twists and turns.

Songs:
1. Dubai Babu
2. Bembeka
3. Naane Ninneganda
4. Baachiko Baachiko
5. Once Upon A Time

Released Year: 2009
Running Time: 152 minutes/Colour/Kannada


Review

This is a very cleverly scripted film. I have narrated the beginning in the synopsis, but as you watch the film nothing seems to make sense, but like all good detective stories (which this film is not) everything is revealed by the end of the film, in a thoroughly satisfying way. It is a film that makes you think, with a very ingenious story-line, but it is a film that entertains, and a film that is enjoyable.

We see Upendra as a romantic hero, an action hero, and a superb comedian. Sadhu Kokila is also excellent as his almost constant companion in the film, with his particular brand of comedy acting. Nikitha Thukral is excellent as the romantic heroine, she is absolutely right for the part. Ramesh Pandit is good playing a “straight” role as her would-be lover, and that straight role is as funny as it is ridiculous.

“Dubai Babu” is a song with Babu and some of the local beauties, set in Dubai. “Bembeka” is a love song with Babu and Vasu, set partly in Mumbai. “Naane Ninneganda” is a song with a large number of dancers, in which Babu imagines his wedding with Vasu. “Baachiko Baachiko” is another love-song. The music and lyrics are good, as is the picturisation and choreography of all the songs.

5 stars

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]