As the title suggests, Ayogya revolves around the ‘unfit’ protagonist, played by Sathish Ninasam. For this mass entertainer, Sathish has collaborated with S Mahesh Kumar, a former protégée of renowned directors Yogaraj Bhat and Duniya Soori.
The storyline, though predictable, is entertaining. Maregowdanahalli, a remote village in Mandya, is under the control of gram panchayat chief Bachche Gowda (Ravishankar) for several years. The hero Sidde Gowda (Sathish), an unemployed youth, is irked that despite being in power for many years, Bachche Gowda has not provided basic facilities like toilets to the village and rebels against him.
Thus begins the clash of clans – Sidde Gowda vs Bachche Gowda. How the apparently unfit and incompetent Sidde Gowda confronts Bachche Gowda is narrated humorously, and this forms one part of the story.
In parallel, Sidde Gowda falls in love with Nandini (Rachita Ram), daughter of a marriage broker (Sunder Raj). But Nandini breaks his heart, calling him ‘unfit’ marriage material because he is unemployed. Sidde Gowda now has only two goals – to woo the love of his life and to defeat Bachche Gowda to end the misery of villagers.
Sathish manages to breathe life into every frame of the film. With Ayogya, the actor has taken a big leap to charm the masses with typical punch dialogues and heavy build-up stunts that draw loud whistles. However, this may not go down well with his fans, who have loved him for his boy-next-door roles. It might take the audience some time to accept Sathish in his new avatar. Ayogya also has his signature Mandya dialect that always manages to evoke emotions.
Rachita Ram, during the film’s promotional events, tried to impress the public by speaking in the Mandya dialect. After watching Ayogya, we know how she has managed to get a grip on the dialect so soon. She has enacted the role of a villager well, but the director could have given her more screen space.
Ravishankar proves yet again that he can get into the skin of any character and performs the role of Bachche Gowda with ease. Tabla Nani plays Ravishankar’s PA and keeps the audience laughing with his comic timing. Sadhu Kokila’s cameo role is entertaining and he adds more essence to the comic scenes. The film is a full-on entertainer and Kuri Pratap, Giri and Shivaraj make it livelier. Though the film has a few silly gags, overall the filmmakers can be forgiven.
As a first-timer, Mahesh Kumar shows promise. Hailing from Maregowdanahalli village himself, he has depicted the rural setup without making it seem artificial. He has kept the people, scenes and props as real as possible. He tries to portray the woes of the villagers in a simple yet humorous manner. His efforts to start a discussion about open defecation in villages through the film is welcome.
Preetham Tegginamane’s cinematography is worth mentioning. He has managed to capture the hues and essence of the village aptly and the songs too have been shot wonderfully.
The compositions by Arjun Janya, who is doing his first movie with Sathish, blend well with the storyline, and Yenee Karmalaa and Yenammi Yenammi have already become hits.
Overall, the film is enjoyable and can be labelled under must-watch if you are a fan of comedy entertainers.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.