Chalo Cinema

Vijay's show of strengthFilm: Taakath (Kannada)Cast: Vijay, Shubha Poonja, Rangayana Raghu, Sanketh Kashi, Shobhraj, AvinashDirector: M S RameshTheatres: Santosh, Pramod, Apsara, Fun CinemasRating: ** 1/2 united colours of sandalwood: Vijay romances Shubha Poonja in Taakath What it's about: Taakath is a run-of-the-mill flick no doubt, dealing as it does with the love that blossoms between a rich, beautiful girl and a poor, young man. Director M S Ramesh churns out a cliched story but treats it with some finesse.Basya (Vijay) is an orphan and a bus cleaner. Bhageerathi (Shubha Poonja), the pampered daughter of a rich and notoriousu00a0 landlord, falls for Basya's rustic charm.u00a0u00a0 Enraged by the affair, her dad and uncle try to terrorise Basya. But the gutsy lad dares the family to stop him from marrying his sweetheart. What's hot: It's Vijay's show all the way. He is ably supported by Rangayana Raghu, Avinash and others.What's not: The first half cruises along, but post-interval, the film drags. Gurukiran's music is a huge disappointment. Verdict: Though clichu00e9d and formulaic, it's worth a dekko for the brave show by the actors. Lost in translationFilm: Dubai Babu (Kannada)Starcast: Upendra, Nikitha, Dwarakish Director: NagannaTheatres: Kapali, Uma, PVR CinemasRating: * Hairy-scary: Nothing about Dubai Babu, not even Upi's curls, can inspire movie buffs to sit through the filmWhat it's about: Shoddy direction mars Upi's much hyped film. Babu (Upendra), an unemployed graduate, nurses dreams of making it big in Dubai. Greedy and unscrupulous travel agents in Mumbai cheat him of not just his money, but also his dream. The only silver lining is his chance encounter with RJ Vasundhara (Nikita). He spends the rest of the film trying to woo her. When he does find her, he also finds her whopping bank loans and being a good-hearted guy, he repays them. Where does the moolah come from? The answer lies inu00a0 melodramatic flashback scenes with a murder or two thrown in for good measure. It takes special talent to turn a successful film (Dubai Seenu) into a mess (Dubai Babu) but Naganna has done just that with lots of help from his lead stars. What's Hot: Dwarkish, Tennis Krishna and Sundar Raj have done a good job as comedians. They restore your sanity with their witty lines.What's Not: Upendra and Nikitha are very disappointing. Upi, especially, grates on your nerves with his constant yelling. Sadhu Kokila should seriously think ofu00a0 quitting films. His awful jokes are nauseating. Verdict: Watch re-runs of the IPL. They are a sight far better than this flick.