Landlord movie review: Duniya Vijay’s fight for rights is an ineffective Kaatera lite

Landlord movie review: Kaatera writer Jadeshaa K Hampi tries his hand at making a film set in the exact same genre. But does he deliver a winner? Well...

Duniya Vijay in Landlord

Landlord movie story: Raachaya (Duniya Vijay), his wife Lingamma (Rachita Ram) and daughter Bhavya (Rithanya) live in a village where the law of the land is dictated by the wealthiest and most ruthless landlord. It does not matter that there’s a functional police station and an MLA who is meant to work for the betterment of the people who voted for him. It’s one of those places where the landlord gets away with unspeakable atrocities and keeps the people firmly in their place. Voices of dissent are quickly quenched. But then comes breaking point and Raachaya fights back.

Landlord movie review: Yes, writer-director Jadeshaa K Hampi said that Landlord belongs to the same genre as Kaatera, but he also vehemently denied any other similarity. You see, Kaatera was a trouser-wearing youngster with a girlfriend, while Landlord’s Raachaya is a panche-clad man in his 40s, with a grown-up daughter. It does not matter that pretty much everything else is the same – oppression at the hands of a wealthy upper class set over generations, a young educated girl advocating rights as laid down by the government, a few deaths and threats of extreme violence, all of which put together force the protagonist to finally say enough is enough and set things right. This was definitely written in the hangover of Kaatera and, perhaps, in the hope of getting the Challenging Star to do it at some point.

Duniya Vijay is, no doubt, a good action star, although, I am on the fence about his emotional histrionics. Landlord, for some reason, did not seem like a good fit for Vijay; perhaps because one’s gotten used to his brand of underworld cinema. Every now and then I wondered, ‘What if Darshan had done these scenes? How much more impactful would it have been?’ For once, I genuinely hoped for Darshan onscreen.

Also read: Duniya Vijay’s Landlord bookings open: Fans not enthused about rural backdrop tale of oppression?

That very obvious hangover apart, Landlord’s big failing is that despite the build-up to the protagonist’s big ‘explosion’ when tested to his limits, what plays out is drawn out and underwhelming. It just doesn’t have the goosebump-inducing high. It’s rather disappointing, considering that the natural course of order in a film like this is for the hero to stand his ground and fight.

Vijay does his best as Raachaya, and is ably supported by his debutante daughter Rithanya, with a character that shows agency for the most part, except in the climax, when she is reduced to a mute spectator. Raj B Shetty yet again manages to convince that despite his relatively frail frame, he can inflict unspeakable violence, and go head-on against the more muscular Vijay. He is the formidable opponent that Raachaya needs, but the tug-of-war between them goes on and on that it loses its sheen eventually.

Rachita Ram is the weakest link here, while Rakesh Adiga and Abhi Dass are limited to looking annoyed and intimidating the villagers. Umashree, Shishir Baikady, Gopalkrishna Deshpande, have short and pivotal roles, which would have benefited from some restraint. Ajaneesh Loknath’s is passable, but the tune that plays every time Raj’s Sanna Dani appears sounded familiar, from the web series Shodha, perhaps.

Landlord movie verdict: If you are in the mood for a film with Kaatera vibes, Landlord may be right up your alley. Just don’t go in expecting the standard set by the former. It’s like Max and Mark, which, despite the same leading man, still didn’t measure up albeit being in the same template. For me, Landlord missed the mark.

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