Here's the review of the film Mussanje Maathu written by Shilpa Jagadeesh from Washington DC, USA. She had emailed us the review which we are directly publishing it here:
I managed to catch Mussanje Maatu when it was screened by Kaveri
Kannada Sangha (thanks guys!) at a Washington, D.C. theater, and I must
say I was not too disappointed.
Despite the predictable plot, pointless "comedy track", and sometimes
hackneyed dialogue, Mussanje Maatu managed to hold my interest.
Compared to the current crop of Gandhinagar fare, the film is quite
watchable, and draws impresssive performances from its lead cast.
The Plot: 20-something cool radio jockey Pradeep (played by Sudeep)
hosts an evening drive call-in show titled Mussanje Maatu, where he
consoles and gives peppy advice to lonely, depressed souls who are down
on their luck. Pradeep meets Tanu (played by Ramya) who has recently
come to Bengaluru from Hubli, after being thrown out of her house by
her drunkard, womanizing father (played by Ramesh Bhat) after the death
of her beloved mother (Padma Vasanti). Tanu finds refuge at the house
of her good friend (played by Anu Prabhakar) and immerses herself in a
new job. To heal her painful past, Tanu calls in to Pradeep's show and
he offers her a shoulder to cry on.
Tanu and Pradeep finally meet face to face and become good friends.
Tanu is completely enchanted with Pradeep's heart of gold, and Pradeep
is captivated by Tanu's charm and beauty. Pradeep starts to develop
romantic feelings for Tanu, but he doesn't want to jeopardize their
precious friendship by confessing his love. This "will they, won't
they" game continues until the film's conclusion, which of course, I
won't ruin for you here.
Debutant director Mahesh has succeeded in a casting coup, bringing
Ramya and Sudeep together after many years. But he could have told the
story at a far more slick pace. The whole slapstick office romance
subplot among Mandya Ramesh and co. was best left on the editing room
floor. It was boring and detracted completely from the story.
Mussanje Maatu stands mostly on the actors' performances, especially
Sudeep, who is brilliant as the carefree, sometimes naive, but very
perceptive Pradeep. His dialogue delivery is natural and effortless.
Sudeep is one of the few Gandhinagar heroes who does not play the same
charactor again and again. He changes his entire look and body
language for each role, which is the way acting should work, in my
opinion. The strong, forceful gait and rough mannerisms of his
hooligan characters from films like "Huchha" and "Ranga SSLC" have been
replaced here with the loose, easy strides and suave demeanor typical
of an urban-educated yuppy. This attractive, sexy avatar of Sudeep is
sure to please his female fans. His dancing is also not bad.
Ramya has put in a sweet, sensitive portrayal of the emotionally
scarred Tanu. Since her voice has been dubbed by a voiceover artist, I
cannot comment on dialogue delivery, but Ramya's expressions seem
genuine, if at times un-spontaneous. Ramya should really work on her
dance skills, as she appears to struggle with most of her steps. She
looks pretty in every frame though, and unfortunately in our times,
little else is required of heroines in Gandhinagar.
I cannot fathom why Anu Prabhakar agreed to play Tanu's friend who
encourages her to call in to Pradeep's radio show. Anu's immense
talent is thoroughly wasted in this apallingly unsubstantial role.
The art direction was superb, especially Pradeep's beautiful glass DJ
booth set up on a rooftop at sunset. Some of the songs were lovely in
their picturization, especially "Ninna Nodalento", which is quite
hummable.
The costume designer also deserves special praise for the actors'
eye-catching wardrobes. Sudeep's attire is stylish and uber-cool,
while Ramya looks soft, feminine, and lovely in her colorful salwar
kameezes and gossamer saris.
Overall, Mussanje Maatu is worth watching for those who need a respite
from the gangster potboilers Gandhinagar has been churning out of late.
Enjoy!
Reviewed By Shilpa Jagadeesh from Washington DC, USA. A Kannada film lover. She hopes that more and more kannada films are screened at her place. You can send your feedbacks to her on: <shilpajag@yahoo.com>