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Wednesday, March 19, 2025
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KANNADA SHANKAR IPS
EDITOR'S PICK
Rating: **
"Shankar IPS" is the latest addition to the list of many Kannada
commercial potboilers about honest police officers` drive against corrupt, cruel
and cantankerous people.
Director M.S. Ramesh, who has already made films revolving around daring and
committed police officers, has once again come out with a formulaic film that is
a tedious watch. And the second half, which has too many lengthy monologues,
tests the patience of the audiences. The viewers will definitely find it boring.
The film`s hero Vijay has a tailor-made role and he seems to have worked hard to
get six packs for his role. But this is surely not enough to entertain the
audience. The film`s predictable story has cliched and preachy sequences.
It seems as if the director had Dialogue King Sai Kumar in mind while writing
the script and dialogues. Vijay, who has always excelled in action sequences,
mouths silly dialogues that sounds outdated.
Ramesh has to be, however, applauded for including a contemporary issue of acid
attacks on unsuspecting, defenceless women in the story. Unfortunately, he
doesn`t focus on the issue that it deserves and passes off in a superficial
manner.
The director is more interested in presenting Vijay in fights and tempting song
sequences which may embarrass the female audiences. And not to forget those
preachy dialogues that lack substance. The director has included dialogues
related to parliament attack convict Afzal Guru`s and Mumbai terror attack
convict Ajmal Amir Kasab`s hanging which may draw whistles from the front
benchers.
The story goes like this - Shankar Prasad, an honest police officer, is prepared
to take on any force that tries to stall his attempts to take on criminals,
particularly who are engaged in attacking and abusing women.
He does not take orders from his superiors before carrying out his avowed
intentions of attacking criminals. But he is asked to resign from his post after
he takes up the cause of a successful model who becomes a victim of an acid
attack.
After being sacked, Shankar decides to take the law into his own hands and kill
all the criminals who are engaged in acid attacks.
Vijay suits the role well, but he is certainly out of place uttering outrageous
and meaningless dialogues. Actresses Raagini and Catherine indulge in skin show,
but yet prove their talents in a few sequences. Rangayana Raghu is too
monotonous in his role, while other artists like Avinash and Shobharaj perform
with ease.
Guru Kiran`s music is average but the background score is much better. Nothing
appreciative could be said about the quality of the cinematography.
"Shankar IPS" is a predictable commercial potboiler.
