PAIN AND PLEASURE OF LOVE

The American novelist and Nobel laureate, Ernest Hemingway wrote that ‘(it’s) better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.’  Needless to say, it is implied in the quote that it is ‘best to have loved and won’!

“ಅರಸು” (‘Arasu’ or ‘King’ in Kannada) is a 2007 regional movie that has the ‘loss and gain of love’s labour’ for a theme. The romantic drama had the all-too-familiar trope of ‘cementing the rich-poor class divide’; the narration used that theme with novelty though― so, the film came as a whiff of fresh air. It was a commercial success and won some awards for its cast and crew too.

Shivaraj Aras (Puneet Raj Kumar) is a daring, dashing and dapper NRI. The son of a business magnate, he is content living off the inherited wealth that his father had diligently amassed. Thus, born with a silver spoon, Shivaraj leads a life of comfort and luxury…the odd barroom brawl excepted.

Circumstances though force Aras to head back to India. Upon return, the tycoon has difficulty adjusting to life. But then, a chance encounter with Shruti (Ramya) turns Aras into a smitten kitten pining for reciprocity in romance. He even proposes marriage to the young lady, who spurns his overture. Instead she challenges Aras to earn some money on his own to prove his mettle.

So then, oblivious to cruddy chicanery of the streets, Aras takes up the gauntlet thrown. He sets out on a mission to win over his heartthrob. Very soon though he meets another cute, vivacious lady, Aishwarya (Meera Jasmine) and that sets up the story for a romantic trifecta.

Rest of the drama is about how Aras’ love life pans out.

Mahesh Babu has been diligent in his directorial efforts. Janardhan Maharshi’s screenplay keeps the flow sharp and swift. The narration is lively, entertaining and ‘message-centric’.

Joshua Sridhar’s music is soft and resonates well with the moods and moments in the story-telling. Camerawork and other technical elements are right up there. S Manohar’s editing deserves mention in particular.

Puneet Raj Kumar’s acting is bubbly. Splendid in the stunt-heavy action sequences, he is the flick’s crackerjack crowd-puller. Meera Jasmine and Ramya have enacted their roles well. Komal provides comic relief. Srinivas Murthy, Sai Prakash, Adi Lokesh and others lend decent support. Aditya, Darshan and Shriya Saran have cameo appearances.

The long and short of the movie is that the lure of lucre is not compelling enough for some…and at times, money cannot buy love!

I rate this romantic drama: 7.0 on 10!