'Ambareesha', which is also spelled as 'Ambarisha', is an action-packed film starring Darshan, Rachita Ram and Priyamani. The movie is directed by Mahesh Sukhadare of "Sambrama" fame.
The Kannada film shows Darshan at his best and the good news for the audience is that after films, the actor has returned with an original story. What ruins the story is the director's desperation to play to the gallery.
The subject of 'Ambareesha' is about the prevalance of land mafia in Bangalore. How the hero fights to save the city from the powers that encroach land. Ambareesha aka Kempe Gowda works for a developer, who has waged a war against land encroachment. The politician played by Sharath Lohitashwa and underworld don Kelly Dorji want to build a casino in the heart of the city.
Meanwhile, Priyamani, who plays the role of the arrogant daughter of Darshan's boss, has clashes with the hero, leading her to naively join hands with the baddies. The remaining story is about how good wins over evil.
The movie claims to be a tribute to Kempe Gowda, founder of Bangalore. Actor-politician Ambarish has played the title role and appears every at parts. Mahesh Sukhadhare has constructed the plots that heavily bank on what Darshan's fans love to see in his films. From the moment the film takes off to the very end, he tries to project him as no less than the messiah of the masses.
The director has taken too much of liberty to glorify Darshan's role and the logic goes for a toss in many parts of the film. He tries to bring in various factors to ensure the hero's victory but the final divine intervention is hard to take after two-and-a-half hours of the movie. While there are a few twists that generate curiosity in the minds of the audience, the poor narration and the lack of comic elements fail to hold the audience's attention.
However, there are some interesting moments in the film too. The scene where Darshan challenges Priyamani wins huge applause from the audience. The portrayal of Ambarish in Kempe Gowda's avatar is rich. Be it the song sequence or the only scene with Darshan, he looks at his best. Indeed, no actor could have enacted the role with ease. Priyamani's glamour and Rachita Ram's lovely little acts are the few attractions. Technically, cinematography is good and the songs are okay.
Verdict: It is quite unfortunate that "Ambareesha" disrespects the audience's intelligence with illogical screenplay.
Rating: 2/5
