Film: "Srimathi";
Cast: Upendra, Priyanka Upendra, Celina Jaitley, Sayaji Shinde, Prem Chopra, Ramakrishna, Rekha Das, Kota Sreenivasa Rao and others;
Director: M. Ravi;
Producer: Shankar Gowda;
Camera: Johny Lall;
Music: Gantadi Krishna;
Background Score: Rajesh Ramanath.
"Srimathi", directed by debutant Ravi, is a remake of 2004 Bollywood film "Aitraaz", starring Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.
The film was marked by a taut screenplay and very good performance by Priyanka Chopra, who was in a negative role.
In the Kannada film, though Celina plays the role played by Priyanka in the original, it is Priyanka Upendra who is the scene stealer, not only from Celina, but also from her highly energetic husband Upendra known for his intensive performances.
Priyanka makes a comeback to Kannada films after a gap of nearly a decade, but still delivers one of the most top notch performances in her career. Otherwise, the film is not very different from "Aitraaz", which, in turn, was heavily inspired by Hollywood film "Disclosure".
Youngsters may watch the film for its skin show and Celina's intimate sequences, which may not go down well with the family audience.
Besides Priyanka, it is the dialogues written by director Ravi, which make an impact. The camera work of Johny Lall stands out, while Gantadi Krishna's musical composition needed some more improvement. However, the background score by Rajesh Ramanath is very good.
Coming to the negative elements, the first half an hour of the film drags a bit. The pace picks up after Celina's entry.
Uppi, in a departure from his signature funky style with moustache and beard, sports a clean shaven look in the film.
The film starts off with a chance meeting of Raj Kumar and job aspirant Priya. She enters Raj's house on a mistaken assumption, but this meeting cements their relationship, which culminates in marriage.
Meanwhile, Raj is promoted in his company by Sonia, who has recently married the company's owner Roy. Sonia, who is Raj's old flame, is highly ambitious and does not care about love.
However, Sonia now wants to resume her relationship with Raj, but he refuses her overtures. As a consequence, Raj finds himself in a soup after Roy seeks his resignation. Raj then tells about the entire situation to his wife Priya, who takes up the challenge thrown by Sonia.
As said earlier, Priyanka makes a grand comeback and proves that she still has the talent to prove her worth as a talented actress. Uppi comes out good in the first half, but is completely overshadowed by his wife in the second half. Celina's abundant skin show notwithstanding, her performance is not a match to Priyanka Chopra's in "Aitraaz".
All the veteran actors, particularly Kota Sreenivasa Rao and Sayaji Shinde, have delivered impressive performances.
Johny Lal's camera work looks opulent on screen. The songs and sequences shot in Maldives are a treat to watch. Rajesh Ramanath scores well in the background score. The "Viraha Viraha" remix song should have been much better.
Watch "Srimathi" for Priyanka Upendra's stunning performance.