We have always seen remakes of Tamil and Telugu movies in Bollywood with over-the-top action sequences, flying cars and gyrating item girls. Bollywood contributed a lot to the ignominy of South Indian industry. It is director Pawan Kumar, who took this quite seriously and directed a 1st of its kind crowdfunded movie Lucia.
Kumar has taken a unique screenplay which is clever, witty and totally engrossing, and transformed it into one of the most ingenious Kannada films. He has shown a proclivity for dealing complex narrative in Lucia. By slow-cooking the proceedings, the director simmers the audience in anticipation.
At the end, the audience is served with a deliciously twisty tale with an extremely sleight-of-hand direction.
Kumar brilliantly handles two narratives simultaneously; crafting a cerebrally challenging 135 minute long mise-en-scène in which the spectators are gasping at its inimitability portrayed through fantasy on a beautiful palette of colours. The climax may seem confounding to the audience, but attentive viewing in the last 10 minutes is crucial.
Music by Poornachandra Tejaswi is remarkable. The music was very effective and the English subtitles added great depth to the proceedings of movie. My personal favourite is Thinbeda Kami. The background music was top notch and deserves a special mention.
Siddhartha Nuni, the cinematographer, is the real star of this movie. He has brilliantly handled the camera work with absolutely clever framing. The scene in which the male protagonist confronts his reflection in the mirror is breathtakingly striking. The sequence in which the actor strives to find lucid dreaming pills is captured with supreme deftness as well.
The only thing which didn't work quite well in favour of Lucia is the inadequate dramatization of romance between the lead pair. The development of romance seemed quite trite in an otherwise delightful movie. On the other hand, I believe had Kumar spent adequate time in writing the screenplay, Lucia's lead pair could have set the screen ablaze with the talent they own.
Sathish Neenasam has set a really high benchmark for himself. It will be really difficult for him to overdo this performance in his upcoming movies. He is absolutely powerful as the confused Nikki. Neenasam depicts his aspirations and the pathos of his characters with utmost dexterity. Shruthi Hariharan suits the role well. Her performance in both narratives is praiseworthy. She has a grace in her personality, which is brilliantly enacted by her on screen. Achyuth Kumar performs very well in a significant role.
I saw this movie at National Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi, Pakistan. At the film's conclusion everyone broke out in a spontaneous round of applause. This gives an idea of how compelling this movie can be.
It may not be the best film Kannada Cinema has produced, but it is certainly a film that will be remembered for a long time. It may not be a flawless masterpiece but it is something grand and magical. It may not be an art-house entertainer but it is a movie which will catapult the echelons of entertainment. Kumar doesn't undermine the intellect of his audience by retelling run-of-the-mill dramatic sequences which will eventually have a happy ending. He rather over expects from the audience and presents a film which understands human mind.
Let Lucia creep under your skin and you will ultimately find yourself instinctively thinking about the people you adore.
