Hero, a Kannada film starring Rishab Shetty, Ganavi Laxman, Pramod Shetty, released on Zee5 today. Written and directed by M. Bharath Raj, B. Ajaneesh Lokhnath has composed the music, and Pratheek Shetty has edited it. For non-Kannada speakers, subtitles in English are available.
When one reads the word ‘Hero’, by default, an assumption is made that it must be a high-octane action film. Well, this Kannada film is much more than that. It is a black comedy and something which we rarely see in Bollywood films.
The characters have no names and are addresses as Hero (Rishab Shetty) and Heroine. The bad guy is called a Villain (Pramod Shetty). When the heroine breaks Shetty’s character’s heart and gets married to the villain, he decides to take revenge.
Shetty’s character is a barber, and he spends days planning how to murder the woman who broke his heart and married someone else. On the other hand, the heroine is married to a bloodthirsty and pathetic man who beats her mercilessly almost every day. His cruelty doesn’t stop here. He enjoys pitting his men against one another, seeing them beaten up and die and cheers as if he’s watching his favourite sport.
One day, the protagonist gets called by the villain as he needs a haircut. This is the right opportunity for the heartbroken lover to kill the heroine and seek revenge. However, destiny has something else planned for the trio and every worker in the house. There’s lots of blood, everything till the end.
The summary makes M. Bharath Raj’s film sound like it is a gruesome crime thriller. But there’s lots of comedy in the film. Remember the Hollywood horror film Ready or Not? Well, it’s not up to that excellent level but a good attempt. The BGM in the Kannada film was amazing as it makes the murderous scenes on the screen appear funny.
The first half is full of twists and turns. The second half has lots of chasing scenes that could’ve been edited out to shorten the length of the overall film. The editing was abrupt as from one scene they immediately jump to the next.
Talking about the performances. Rishab Shetty and Ganavi Laxman are hilarious. From being a coward to a Hero, Shetty’s character surprises us till the end. Ganavi looks beautiful in every frame, and it’s sad to see her getting beaten up badly.
Hero: Is it worth it?
Overall, the Rishab Shetty and Ganavi Laxman starrer is entertaining. Admittedly, it has some flaws, but you won’t be disappointed by giving your time to watch it. The film has a typical heartbroken lover plot, but the story doesn’t go the way we are used to seeing in hundreds of films.
Hero is currently streaming on Zee5.
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