Naanu Mattu Varalakshmi

Naanu Mattu Varalakshmi
Directed byPreetham Gubbi
Written byPreetham Gubbi
Produced byManjunath.K
Jayanna
Bhogendra
StarringPrithvi
Malavika Mohanan
Prakash Raj
Madhoo
CinematographyPreetha Jayaraman
Edited byDeepu.S.Kumar
Music byV. Harikrishna
Production
company
Jayanna Combines
Distributed byKollur Mookambika Creations
Release date
  • 23 December 2016 (2016-12-23)
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada

Naanu Mattu Varalakshmi (transl. Me and Varalakshmi) is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language action film written and directed by Preetham Gubbi and produced by Jayanna-Bhogendra. It stars Prithvi, the grandson of musician G. K. Venkatesh in his debut, and Malavika Mohanan in her Kannada debut. Prakash Raj, Madhoo, Charandeep and Rangayana Raghu play supporting roles. The music is composed by V. Harikrishna. The film was released on 16 December 2016.

Cast

Production

Development and casting

After the debacle of Boxer in 2015, director-writer Preetham teamed up yet again with the producers Jayanna-Bhogendra duo and choose motocross racing as the theme for his next directorial venture. For this film, he brought in six national champions, including a couple of them with international acclaim. He also hired Vijaykumar, a professional motocross racer of many international awards, as a team coach to help with the proceedings.[1] For the lead roles, he selected the fresh faces Prithvi and Malayalam actress Malavika Mohanan. Prithvi, the grandson of music director G. K. Venkatesh, is an engineering graduate and is trained in acting, stunts and dancing. Charandeep was chosen to play the antagonist as another racer who is an opponent to Prithvi.[2]

Filming

The principal photography of the film officially began from 15 December 2015 in Bangalore behind Manyata Tech Park where a race track was being set up for the shoot. The crew consisted of some technically professional racers whom Preetham wanted the scene to "look authentic, since it is a tough sport and any cover-up by the technical team will show upfront." The first schedule of filming ended at Ooty.[3] For the climax portions, Preetham chose to shoot in Sri Lanka where two tracks are meant for the bike races.[4]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack is composed by V. Harikrishna.

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Na Chennagidde -Reprise"Yogaraj BhatTippu, V. Harikrishna4:28
2."Na Chennagidde"Yogaraj BhatV. Harikrishna4:24
3."Meredadide"Jayanth KaikiniSonu Nigam4:30
4."Nunge Nee"Yogaraj BhatSanthosh Venky4:29
5."Ondhalla"A. P. ArjunAjay Warrier4:25

Reception

Critical response

A Sharadhaa from The New Indian Express wrote "The film which moves ahead on conversation needs a little patience, but there is racing that fills the gaps. It is left to the audience to choose the track of love or the bike race".[5] Shyam Prasad S from Bangalore Mirror says "While a couple of characters are fleshed out to add support, the roles played by Madhoo and Prakash Rai are cardboard stuff".[6] Sunanya Suresh from The Times of India wrote "If you like your films to be reminiscent of the good old romantic tales, this one is worth a dekko, though be prepared to invest a little patience and go without many expectations".[7]

References

  1. ^ "Preetham Goes Motocross Racing". 9 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Charandeep plays a racer in next Kannada film". Indian Express. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  3. ^ "India's first hardcore bike racing film". The Times of India.
  4. ^ "Gubbi shoots a real motocross race".
  5. ^ "Review: Naanu Mattu Varalakshmi gets to high octane racing after a slow start". The New Indian Express. 24 December 2016. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  6. ^ "NAANU MATTU VARALAKSHMI MOVIE REVIEW: 'VARALAKSHMI' IS A TEPID LOVE STORY THAT NEVER TAKES OFF". Bangalore Mirror (in Kannada). 24 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  7. ^ "NAANU MATHU VARALAKSHMI MOVIE REVIEW". The Times of India. 24 December 2016. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.