Kabzaa (2023) Kannada Movie Review

Starring: Upendra, Kiccha Sudeep, Shiva Rajkumar, Shriya Saran, Murali Sharma, Posani Krishna Murali, Kota Srinivasa Rao, John Kokken, Sudha, Anoop Revanna, Kabir Singh Duhan, Dev Gill & Others

Director: R Chandru

Producers: R Chandru

Music Director: Ravi Basrur

Cinematography: AJ Shetty

Editor: Mahesh S Reddy

A massive PAN Indian film named Kabzaa starring Upendra and Shriya Saran in the lead roles hit the screens today. Kiccha Sudeepa and Shiva Rajkumar played crucial cameos. The film, originally shot in Kannada, was dubbed into other Indian languages. P Chandru directed this period action film. Let’s see how it is.

Story: Arkeshwara (Upendra), an Indian Air Force Officer, hails from a freedom fighter family. He is head over heels for Madhumathi (Shriya Saran), an affluent girl, and both plan to tie the knot. On the other hand, we get to see a bunch of dreadful gangsters and politicians who are craving power in Amarapura. In a complete turn around of events, Arkeshwara enters the crime world and eventually becomes a king. How did that change Arkeshwara’s life is the crux of the story.

Plus Points: The cinematography is too good in Kabzaa, and the bygone era has been very well showcased. Upendra, who is known for his unique films, gave a very good performance. His screen presence is stunning, and he aced it in stunning action avatar.

The cameos by Kiccha Sudeepa and Shiva Rajkumar give major relief. The actors though seen for a very short time, make their presence felt. The action sequences are nicely composed, and the interval bang is alright.

Minus Points: Once in a while, a film becomes a trendsetter through its unique presentation or concept. KGF is one such film that redefined heroism in Indian cinema. There is nothing wrong with getting inspired by such trendsetting movies, but the problem with Kabzaa is it almost looks like a replica of KGF. There must be some authentic factor to make the film appealing, but Kabzaa doesn’t have one. Right from story, narrative, and dialogues, Kabzaa looks exactly like KGF.

Even the voiceover that drives the story forward looks exactly similar to KGF. There is this car chase sequence in KGF 2 where the makers used a blackout effect to enhance the impact. In Kabzaa, this particular effect is used not once but throughout the movie, annoying the viewers extremely. It’s high time the filmmakers come out from KGF hangover and understand that the elements which worked for a movie won’t work all the time for other films.

That’s not the whole problem with Kabzaa. It has ages old story where the protagonist enters the crime world under inevitable circumstances. The film lacks any emotions, and hence we don’t feel the pain of the characters. The emphasis was entirely on making a larger-than-life film on a huge canvas, but unfortunately, the storytelling took a back seat in all this.

The second half is very difficult to sit through. The love track between the lead pair is pretty boring, and the romantic scenes keep coming intermittently, adding to the unending woes. The editing needed some serious changes. The fast cuts and clumsy presentation of scenes don’t help the film at all. The movie is dragged needlessly, and an even more aweful thing is announcing a sequel to this movie.

Technical Aspects: Ravi Basrur’s music is loud, and the impact is heavily missing. Also, the story doesn’t give him enough scope to show his skills. The cinematography and production values are excellent. If not for AJ Shetty’s wonderful camera work, the movie would have been unbearable. The editing is bad, and the Telugu dubbing is poor.

Coming to the director Chandru, he did a poor job with the film. He also handled the story and screenplay but failed to leave a mark in any aspect. Even for a full blown action entertainer to succeed, there must be some emotion. But this aspect is completely missing in Kabzaa. The protagonist taking upon a crime world is a beaten-to-death concept, and hence there should have been some novelty.

Verdict: On the whole, Kabzaa is a loud and boring period action drama that fails to live up to its expectations. Upendra and the cinematography are the only solaces in this tiresome flick. The routine story, uninteresting narrative, and lack of emotions make it a disappointing fare. You can comfortably skip this film.

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