Buddies Kannada movie review: An enterprising plot scarred by terrible acting and execution

2.5/5

Story:

Amith, a lonesome-depressed kid, befriends three orphaned children which prompts his father to nurture them as his own children. The four kids grow up to be the best of friends with Amith bearing their entire financial burden, so much so that they revel in the luxury and end up taking things for granted. But things take a rather drastic turn when Amith’s girlfriend enters their lives and threatens to pull him away from the bonhomie, thus impacting the financial privileges. The three friends, in a fit of rage and jealousy, then hatch a rather sinister plan that involves holding their best friend at ransom and scamming the very person who fostered them. Can Amith escape from their clutches? Or does he succumb to their cruelty?

Review:

It isn't uncommon for any moviegoer to encounter a sense of regret while watching a film, especially if it's a really bad one. But the same emotion also runs through the mind when one spots a semblance of credibility in the film and build their hopes up, only to watch things go downhill soon after because of poor execution. Director Gurutej Shetty's Buddies comes as the perfect enunciation of the latter, for the film offers many glimpses of promise but is ultimately rendered a most underwhelming watch, thanks to the awful making behind it all. One cringes repeatedly at the fact that the a golden opportunity for a rivetting human drama has gone begging in the case of Buddies, and that the film cruelly remains unaware of its own potential all along. 

It would be safe to say that Buddies comprises not one but two films within itself and that both are alarmingly contrasting in nature to one another. It starts off as a college comedy with scenes most concerning the cliched 'senior vs junior' squabbles but has its eyes also set on an intricate human drama. Popular TV star Kiran Raj makes his return to the big screen as Amith in this film, a dashing engineering student who even carries a dedicated entourage wherever he goes. This entourage includes his three best buddies whom he met many years ago and owes all his happiness to. Unlike in most films, the friendship is forged on rather peculiar terms because we see early in the film that Amith is a clinically depressed kid who, despite all the wealth around, has no genuine friendships to boast of. But things change when the same three kids enter his life, usher in joy and happiness, and prompt Amith's multi-millionare father to take them all in as his own and provide all the financial support. 

In short, it's an unspoken give-and-take friendship between Amith and his friends that somehow blossoms into an endearing one over the years. Cut to present, Amith has grown to be a charming young man only because his friends had his back all along and in return, he has pampered them with all the privileges in the world. However, the symbiotic relationship has a layer of greed and rage buried underneath which shows up when Amith's priorities change. 

It is at this point that we learn of the film that writer-director Gurutej Shetty actually wished to make. There is a sudden shift in tonality as things get slightly grim and sinister, and this is further established when we are introduced to Gopalkrishna Deshpande's character as a small sub-narrative. The talented actor plays police constable Nithyananda who, in essence, is a deplorable man capable of stooping to the lowest of moral points, and it isn't a matter of surprise that the film's best highlights involve him. The story takes a sharp turn when Amith's three friends decide on kidnapping him for ransom, and to make things better, constable Nithyananda inadvertently becomes a part of this plan. And in one sweeping stroke of luck, he takes over the operation.

What happens next is simply redundant because the film loses all its steam right after this, as easily as the burst of a bubble. We see the plot become an aimless one with unnecessary twists and turns and the zest of the previous few scenes is suddenly lost. Sure, the director tries to make the most of the sudden spike in the drama but both the writing and execution lack the skill to utilise the potential of the film. What could have been a narrative simmering with tension and excitement is instead given an unnecessary masala treatment and one can't help but be bored with the proceedings. Barring Gopalkrishna Deshpande , the performance of the cast is best described as "terrible" and as the story plods on, it suddenly becomes clear why the film could never work despite all the sincere efforts. Director Gurutej Shetty, aside from the lack of finesse and vision, also seems obligated to project his lead actor Kiran Raj as a bonafide hero and you see that in two completely ill-fitted action sequences. Interestingly, the popular TV actor seems to have carried the daily soap sensibility into the film, considering it begins to feel like one after a point. 

The cast of Buddies also includes Siri Prahlad, Rohan Sai, Vinay Sanketh, Girish Hegde, and popular Tulu comedian Aravind Bolar too makes a resourceful appearance.

Among the technical crew, talented composer Judah Sandhy tries his best to save the film and even manages to elevate things in certain moments with his background score. Nibha Shetty's cinematography is a major let down as it neither justifies the film's mood and temperament, nor does it hold up to the approved visual grammar.

Verdict:

Buddies, as pointed out, isn't a complete waste of your time inspite of all the efforts of the team to make it so. The film certainly has moments of sheer promise and innovation but the lack of vision in the director lends it a tone that's neither original nor refreshing. Kiran Raj, the TV star, looks convincing in most parts and Gopalkrishna Deshpande tries to bring all his talent to the table but the film, ultimately remains off target by a big margin. However, should you wish to explore an interesting take on the 'college bromance' genre, Buddies is likely to offer a few innovative twists. Go check it out if you've got time on your hands.