'Gaalipata 2' review: Pale shadow of its past

Gaalipata 2
Kannada (Theatres)
Director: Yogaraj Bhat
Cast: Anant Nag, Ganesh, Diganth, Pawan Kumar, Sharmila Mandre,
Rating: 2.5/5

In ‘Gaalipata’ (2008), Gani (Ganesh) falls in love with Sowmya (Daisy Bopanna) in just two scenes. One day, he sees her wiping her hair after a shower. A couple of days later, he accidentally sees her take a dip in the river.

The voyeuristic gaze is apparent but director Yogaraj Bhat stays clear of objectification. You sense the hero’s brewing excitement. More importantly, the scenes are elevated by silence and they are followed by a melodious number (‘Minchagi neenu baralu’).

Fourteen years later, in the opening moments of the film’s sequel, you feel something is off when the romantic tracks of not just Gani but the other two characters – Digi (Diganth) and Bhushan (Pawan Kumar) – are conveyed during a song. What’s the hurry? The director doesn’t care to establish the chemistry between the leads.

While romance is side-lined, friendship isn’t given great focus as we miss the playful, relatable banters between the three men witnessed in ‘Gaalipata’. Hence, later in the film, when they fall apart, we are emotionally detached from their split. We don’t feel it’s a big deal as they make it to be.

‘Gaalipata 2’ is a pale shadow of its predecessor. It lacks the soul of ‘Gaalipata’, which was a genuine feel-good, friendship film with emotional and romantic depth. This film is half as consistent as the first part.

The foundation was set for the sequel. People were sold on the idea of three friends reuniting to travel, pursue their love and find themselves eventually. On paper, ‘Gaalipata 2’ has all these plot points but it strips most of the nuances of the first part courtesy of its weak story, and a shoddy screenplay marred by illogical developments.

The first half crumbles under the weight of its expectations. From the college portions, we wait to spot that one moment of magic that retains the flavour of the franchise. But too many things happen too soon. It’s as if you enter the film expecting a beautiful vacation in a far-off land and you come out after the interval with the feeling of suffocation from a crowded fare.

The second half runs in circles because the script is overstuffed. The ensemble shifts to Europe as Anant Nag, who plays a Kannada lecturer, goes in search of his lost son. The three men, even as they try to help their mentor, work on restoring their love lives. There is also an angle of a disrupted parent-child relationship with Rangayana Raghu, back as an MLA, perennially having issues with his aimless, carefree son Gani.

‘Gaalipata 2’ tries to say a lot of things but the execution isn’t convincing because Yogaraj Bhat doesn’t flesh out his scenes. We miss a smooth transition from one moment to another and that’s why the film feels less organic right from the start.

With the film offering nothing for the romantic buffs, the women (played by Sharmiela Mandre, Vaibhavi Shandilya, and Samyuktha Menon) have nothing substantial to do. It’s a rare phenomenon as Yogaraj Bhat is known for giving women a mind of their own in his films. The performance worsens the situation as the trio is robotic in its expressions.

The film looks vibrant and the production standard is pleasing to the eye. That apart, ‘Gaalipata 2’ is watchable because of its comedy. Mind you, there are several cleverly written humorous one-liners and some great laugh-out-loud moments. There is even an attempt at dark comedy with a cancer patient. The results are mixed though.

Rangayana Raghu takes the responsibility to make us laugh in the first half while a trippy Diganth, with his terrific body language and timing, gives us much-needed entertainment. An all-around Ganesh salvages the film to a great extent. He understands Yogaraj Bhat’s eccentricity like none other and towers over the rest by perfectly balancing his comical and emotional acts.

Yet, the actor deserved better and this is the weakest product of the Yogaraj Bhat-Ganesh combination. Yes, we get the trademark funny instants but the wholesome experience we are familiar with is missing in ‘Gaalipata 2’.

One wonders if it’s the generational shift that Yogaraj Bhat is concerned about. Perhaps assuming today's youth to be restless, he doesn’t allow the scenes to breathe. Even his song placement lacks confidence as he offers us one after the other in the first half. Though they come with Yogaraj Bhat’s typical visual mastery, they definitely needed rousing build-ups.

Our filmmakers have generated a newfound love for philosophy too. In this film, Anant Nag takes the duty of delivering philosophical lines that come at odd timings. The veteran actor, in a valiant attempt, does justice to the film’s fight for preserving Kannada and the local culture.

The disappointment amplifies because here was a writer-director who dared to translate his ceaseless idiosyncratic ideas on screen and never held himself back from fully exploring the matters of the heart. It’s saddening to see Yogaraj Bhat content with low-hanging fruit. The film’s conflicts and solutions are either too silly or coincidental. So, we get a child’s version of ‘Gaalipata’. Several characters of ‘Gaalipata 2’ wants their protagonists to be serious. Outside of the film, at least from his loyal fans, the same demand applies to the director as well.

My endless grouse is also because it’s a sequel to an evergreen flick. And even as a standalone, it’s at best an average movie. It’s a sheer waste of talent and wealth. You witness a great team, which once scripted wins for fun, tumble and lose its invincibility.

Watch ‘Gaalipata 2’ for the great reunion. Don’t expect an encore.