At first glance, Gurudev Hoysala is a routine cop movie that eulogises its titular character. The opening moments of the film show a group of men attempting to vandalise the statue of Sangolli Rayanna over a petty cause, but little do they know that crime is the wrong profession to pick when Gurudev is in town. Right on cue, we have the supercop arriving on the scene atop a glorious horse, flashing his RayBans and channelling his inner Sangolli Rayanna. It's the ideal entry scene, and keeping up with tradition, there's a slo-mo action sequence thrown in as the title card flares up to maximise the effect. A scene like this is always unsettling for the first few moments, and then one begins to fear that, perhaps, the entire film would play out at this pitch. But luckily, I was proven wrong a few scenes later.
Vijay N's Gurudev Hoysala might be a mash-up of several cop films we have loved over the years, but the next 2.5 hours (roughly) gradually reveal that there is a lot more to it. It's a film that rides successfully on archetypes and old templates, but with a lot of conviction and nuance. Considering that nine out of ten Kannada films of late are found completely lacking these traits, you will certainly not mind watching a well-made rehash. And in consolation, the film throws up a pleasant surprise or two every now and then to thank us for our patronage.
Right off the bat, we learn that Gurudev is the man of the hour and the cop for every need. But there's a catch to being that good, which is the ordeal of transfers. His wife Ganga (Amrutha Iyengar), the yin to his yang, is a Bharatanatyam teacher who prudently always keeps her luggage half-packed because god knows when Gurudev's work will siren them off to a new place. This time around, the posting is in a town called Athani in the Belagavi area, where an undercover cop, who was unravelling the sand mafia misdeeds, has gone MIA. No mafia in the world has come without trouble and this particular one is a triumvirate of trouble — head honcho Daada (Avinash BS), his son Naana (Prathap Narayan), and their very devoted lackey and chief breeder of violence, Bali. Simple names but equally complex personalities.
Bali does not belong to the family lineage and the writer uses the metaphor of a dog to describe his position — in one of the scenes in the second half, Daada says to Bali, “So far I have raised dogs that have been loyal, but you are the only killer among them.” “Raised,” being the operative word. But maybe that is why Bali is the most intriguing and exciting of the three (perhaps, the entire cast) and thankfully Vijay N (writer-director) recognises this. Naveen Shankar, the actor who plays this part, is also a revelation. The portions featuring Bali and Gurudev are quite enthralling especially because the villain, for a change, is humanised.
But, as it turns out, the main focus of the film is something else. The entire sand mafia bit, we learn, is not even close to being as important as Daada's other trade — of proliferating casteism and the ‘purity’ associated with it. Daada is a proud ‘upper’ caste man and is willing to go to any length to protect the sanctity of the caste hierarchy, but all hell breaks loose when his own daughter Bhoomi falls in love and elopes with a boy of a lowered caste. A few scenes earlier, the young couple, posing as orphans, would have sought Gurudev’s help to get married. So when the truth comes to light, the supercop finds himself in a whole lot of trouble.
This, for me, came as an exciting deviation from the usual ‘one man v/s a nexus’ kind of setup. Sure, the idea of dealing with centuries-old social hierarchy is an incredibly tougher task, but when pitted against such invisible forms of evil, the hero of the film emerges as more human and relatable. Dhananjaya, the actor, too, refrains from silly posturing and instead gets a good grasp of the tone of his character and the circumstances around him, while simultaneously finding ways to exude badassery. The same scenario, of the couple eloping, also allows for the story to seem more multidimensional and it's rare to find a ‘mass’ mainstream movie that treads that path.
Does that mean Gurudev Hoysala is near perfect? Of course not. In an attempt to juggle a sensitive cause, the idea of justice, a whole range of heroes and villains, and so much more, Vijay N loses grip and comes off as a little confused. The confusion is visible in how the mass moments pounce at us out of nowhere, half the time not really making much sense. Yes, there is something to savour in these scenes, but the sudden shift in tone is not handled skilfully.
Sometimes, it's the incessant need to keep the hero at the forefront of things and at other times it's the lack of innovation in writing, which makes the resolution to the extremely profound problem a little banal and boring. Gurudev's speech in the concluding moments of the film about the role of police in society and how it's a thankless job is a done-to-death routine and the film could have definitely benefited without it.
As a big screen experience, Gurudev Hoysala boasts many exciting and intriguing moments that make the visit to a cinema hall a worthwhile one. The music, the cinematography, and the editing could have been a lot better and more enterprising, but the focused storytelling suffices just enough. Performance-wise the film lends a great platform to more than just one character to blossom, but better writing would have brought more characters to life. In internet-speak, fans will cherish the film and so will those who are waiting to watch a decent big-ticket Kannada film in a theatre. The shortcomings can be ignored, as long as you do not set your expectations too high.
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.
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