THE THRILL OF THE PERFECT HEIST

“He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it,” observed the Roman philosopher Seneca. That perhaps is the raison dꞋetre for the eternal cat-and-mouse game between cop and criminal.

“ನವಗ್ರಹ” (‘Navagraha’, which translates to ‘Nine Planets’) is a 2008 Kannada film, which over the years has attained the status of a cult classic. Heavily inspired by Reservoir Dogs, this heist movie was a runaway success at the box-office.

The film revolves around Jaggu (Darshan), a dacoit with a history of high-profile thefts. An international antique collector engages Jaggu to steal the golden howdah― the main attraction showcased during the Dasara festivities― from the Mysore palace.

Jaggu accepts the brief and soon embarks on his mission. He assembles a team of fellow henchmen and hatches a foolproof, audacious plan. The gang of seven men and two women, diverse in skill and savvy, collaborates to pull off the caper. An astute, discerning police officer, ACP Bhagat (Sourav) is hot on their heels though.

So does the gang succeed, despite the cult of personality that runs deep in them? Or, do the police thwart their mission?

That is the story.

Dinakar Thoogudeepa’s direction, slick as it is, could have used some finesse. The story per se is not much; it’s run-of-the-mill crime thriller. Dinakar’s screenplay however is replete with time-jumps, plot twists, and flashbacks. In short, the flick has all the stuff audiences adore in an edge-of-the-seats cliffhanger that hurtles towards its climax.   

V Harikrishna’s music contributes handsomely to the tension that is built to a crescendo onscreen. AV Krishna Kumar’s camerawork; AV Chintan’s dialogues; and, T Shashi Kumar’s editing amp up the anxiety and anticipation in the narration. K Ravivarma’s stunt sequences add to the excitement. The technical aspects of the film make up for the inadequacies of a clichéd story and a predictable formula, not to mention the drag in the first half.

In the lead role, Darshan has performed with punch and panache. Sharmila Mandre adds to the glamour quotient. Rest of the ensemble cast, comprising of Nagendra Urs, Srujan Lokesh, Giri Dinesh, Vinod Prabhakar, Tharun Kishore Sudhir and others, is alright.

The crux of the film: Criminals are not always dumb as stumps. Yet, more often than not Lady Luck deserts them…courtesy: dopey, greedy partners in crime!

I rate this crime drama: 7.0 on 10!