Shabdavedi

By V N Subba Rao

CAST         ---------- Dr Rajkumar, Jayaprada, K S Aswath, Sahukar Janaki .
MUSIC        ---------- Hamsalekha
DIRECTION ---------- S Narayan
PRODUCER ---------- Parvathamma Rajkumar

The difference in perception of the same film sometimes lies in the stable from where it comes. This is more than amply proved by Kannada megastar Raj Kumar's much-hyped comeback vehicle, "Shabdavedi."

It is quite easy to imagine what would have happened to this run-of-the-mill cop and robber movie had Raj Kumar not been the main actor and had he not made his ardent fans wait for six long years to stage this reluctant comeback. It would have passed off as yet another release and folded up unwept, unhonoured and unsung after a couple of weeks' run. But "Shabdavedi" is not just a film, but an event.

The megastar makes every conceivable difference to the film, which literally exults in his charismatic presence. The fact, that there are hardly any scenes worth mentioning in the film without him, shows how complete his domination of it is. Proving a perfect foil for him is the old hearthrob, Jayapradha. Together, they lift many a routine scene from mediocrity to a pulsating experience by the very aplomb with which they emote and the depth they lend to their acting. There are a couple of memorable scenes in which it is difficult to decide who has overtaken whom in this fascinating battle of histrionics.

It is all sheer melodrama, of course; sometimes even unabashed. But the doyen, who is now a septuagenarian, shames younger artistes by the sheer dynamism of his screen presence and by the superb delivery of the meaty dialogue, sinking many of his favourite mannerisms long with his advancing age. It is sheer brilliance.

On top of it, Raj, some of whose songs for outside producers have been surprisingly off-meter and below par of late, once again comes into his own as a singer and renders a couple of Hamsalekha's songs with a good deal of depth. Like the romantic song he shares with Jayaprada, though rather anachronistic thanks to their age, stands out with its lilt and melody. Though the leading composer tends to be a little loud in his background score, he does put the DTS recording to effective use.

"Shabdavedi" is based on a thriller by senior cop-turned-writer Vijay Sasanur; but, despite the concern it shows for the growing dope menace in present-day society, it has very little to offer, leading even the most loyal of Raj Kumar's admirers to wonder if he should not have opted for a more substantial theme for staging his highly publicised comeback. One of the two crafty twists in the story line does not certainly conceal the basic shallowness of the theme. It is often the punchy dialogue, which lifts many lacklustre scenes to interesting heights. And what stands out, is the absolutely delectable dialogue delivery by Raj Kumar, who remains the object of interest.

Bombay's Ram Shetty makes another solid contribution to the film by his daredevil stunts, which also finds Raj in his pugilistic elements. But the climatic fight is a bad letdown, just as the climax itself. Apart from being too anaemic and stale, it also presents another actor of note, K S Aswath, who also stages a forced comeback after a five-year long absence, in an embarrassing light. The actor who had retired peacefully in a blaze of personal glory might as well have been spared this horrendous experience.

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