Ikkat review: A delightful comedy-drama

Ikkat

Kannada (Amazon Prime Video)

Directors: Esham and Haseen Khan

Cast: NS Nagabhushana, Bhoomi Shetty, Sunder, RJ Vicky, Anand Ninasam

Rating: 3.5/5

Ikkat, directed by Esham and Haseen Khan, is a film that doesn’t take itself seriously. But by no means is this dumbed-down material. Backed by delightful imagination and natural performances, Ikkat is an admirably consistent comedy-drama.

Vasu (Nagabhushana) and Janavi (Bhoomi Shetty) don’t need reasons to tear each other apart. It’s a miracle that they are still together. Their happy photographs adorn the walls. It appears as if they are laughing at the couple’s constant quarrels.

Both are as different as chalk and cheese. “I was raised like a princess,” Janavi tells her husband, who is your typical small-town man saving every penny in the big and fast-paced Bengaluru.

Vasu is also an annoying husband who expects his wife to pamper him but doesn’t believe in sharing household duties. What’s worse is his habit of nitpicking which puts off Janavi. A perennially irritated Janavi takes refuge in Tik Tok videos.

A global pandemic and the prime minister’s decision to enforce a 21-day nationwide lockdown jolt them. Their worst nightmare of spending every minute together comes true. From this point, the film is mostly an uproariously funny ride.

Ikkat is also the first Kannada film to use pandemic as its backdrop to tell an engaging story. In the plot, Esham and Haseen manage to funnily accommodate our regular companions during the lockdown like the sensational news channels, hot-headed police officers, workout props at home and the ridiculously illogical WhatsApp remedies for a dangerous virus.

The richness of the film’s comedy is courtesy of its wacky ideas. For example, watch out for the comical staging of an imaginary robbery scene. You will also definitely crack up seeing Vasu go out to buy essentials dressed up as a man from space.

The terrific dialogues from Esham, Haseen, and Ramakrishna Ranagatti complement these inventive ideas. The best lines are reserved for the news anchor. Sample this: Alladang illa idna (Corona) alladsangu illa.

The director duo finds great humour in the mundane through characters like a fraud Godman and a nosey neighbour (Anand Ninasam). Two unexpected visitors in Vasu’s elderly relative (Sunder) and a Tik Tok star (RJ Vicky) bring fresh trouble for the couple. Do they come out of the problems? Or do they part ways? As Ikkat answers this, the directors add a touch of horror to the narrative.

The half-hearted ending is Ikkat’s major drawback. A film this creative should have ended with a bang. The screenplay crumbles in the final act with no salvation.

Despite this quibble, Ikkat is highly watchable because of its actors. Nagabhushana pulls off a brilliant comical act with a great mix of expressions and dialogue delivery. Debutant Bhoomi Shetty plays it straight superbly and proves to have a strong screen presence. Though Sunder oversells some scenes, he is still convincing as an over-the-top old man. RJ Vicky makes you laugh in a bizarre role.

For the most part, Ikkat is a giggle-fest. It is also the best Kannada direct-to-OTT release since the pandemic.

The film is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.