Roars but not loud enough

Action. Okay! Two heroines. Yes! Punch dialogues. Check! Flashback. Positive! Revenge. Absolutely!

Well, that sums up most of Balakrishna’s films we’ve come across in recent times. And that’s ditto with his latest venture ‘Lion’ too. But what sets this film apart is that it is the actor’s best performance in recent times. While the aforementioned key elements are intact, there’s an element of mystery that looms all over the first half.

Godse (Balakrishna) wakes up in a hospital and fails to understand anything that he is seeing around. He recognises no one – his parents, wife Sarayu (Radhika Apte) and colleagues. His life seems a total ambiguity to him. He has memories of a different life where he is Bose, has a lover Mahalakshmi (Trisha), different parents and a sister.

But no one seems to understand and agree with what’s going on in his mind. Added to this, he is hurt and has health issues. How Godse/Bose finds his true identity and what’s the story behind the mix up forms the crux of this movie. When there’s a title like ‘Lion’, one obviously expects the general Balakrishna fare where you will see him wield his power and be the Supreme Being who does no bad.

But there’s none of that here. Yes, there’s that clichéd fight for justice. But that’s about it. The film manages to grab your attention for a major part of the first half with the curiosity about ‘what’s his problem’ in your mind. The second half too gives you some interesting moments – but the first half outnumbers them.

The problem with ‘Lion’ isn’t the story but the narration that goes wrong. There are well-written dialogues and brightly picturised songs. But those aren’t enough to keep you going through a movie, right? While interest is generated through the first half, at a juncture you feel, ‘Okay I am tired of waiting! Tell me what the problem is’.

The second half goes into a stylish mode with chases and technology being used. The love sequence between Radhika Apte and Balakrishna seems very contrived. Same is the case with his chemistry with Trisha – there’s no love track at all! Sadly, both the talented actresses are underutilised.

As for Balakrishna, he shines in both the avatars. However, for a change, he appeared a tad uncomfortable while dancing. There was talk about him losing seven kilos for the role and that comes as a surprise as every moment we felt that he needed to get into shape.

Satya Deva does a decent job for a newcomer. He had an interesting storyline in hand but failed to execute it the way it should have been. Nonetheless, he conceived and filmed the songs on a grand note. On the whole, Balakrishna’s fans will lap up this offing. For the rest, it is a fare that’s just okay.

Movie Name : Lion

Cast : Balakrishna, Trisha and Radhika Apte

Direction : Satya Deva

Genre : Action drama

Likes : Story, Songs picturisation

Unlikes : Execution

By Pranita Jonnalagedda