Express News Service
Director Ram Prasad’s Lanke takes the core message of Ramayana and mounts it in our contemporary world. Although the film definitely has a well-crafted idea and decent performances, Lanke ends up as a pale product with several loose ends.
The story is about Ram (Yogi) who has spent several years in prison. Upon release, he meets a small-time conman (Prashanth Siddiqui) who helps Ram find a shelter and job. Ram, who soon becomes a popular personality in the area, also falls in love with Paavani (Krishi Thapanda), of course, at first sight.
Incidentally, Paavani works for a charitable trust and wants to help the area’s children with their education. However, she gets caught in a prostitution ring headed by Mandara (Kavya Shetty). How Ram goes about freeing Paavani and other girls from the clutches of Mandara, and in turn cleans the society is one part of the story.
Meanwhile, Ram also has a bitter past that catches up with him, and he wages a war against all evils in his life. Ram Prasad has also brought in more than a couple of characters that are inspired from Ramayana. However, the twist in Lanke is that it is a woman who embodies the evil traits. While the overall idea of presenting the good versus evil is well-thought the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Looking at how certain scenes leave a bad aftertaste, it is unfortunate that even the edit desk just adds to Ram Prasad’s woes.
As for Yogi, he gets to explore his allround skills — acting, dance, and fights — in Lanke. The women of this film too play outside their comfort zones. Just like Krishi justifies her character, it is a challenging role for Kavya, who has worked well on it. Sharath Lohitashwa surprises with his unusual character. Also full points to the casting choices, especially Eshther Norrona and the late Sanchari Vijay, who plays a cameo in the flashback. Lanke works on the core message of Dharma, and if we can look past its flaws, it is a watchable film.
Lanke
Cast: Yogi, Krishi Thapanda, Kavya Shetty, and
Sharath Lohitashwa
Director: Ram Prasad
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