CONGRATULATIONS BROTHER: Pen N Paper Studios Association, Kallur Cinemas LLP & Screen First Productions, Producer: Prashanth Kallur, Co-Producer: Harish Reddy, Story & Creative Head: Hari Santhosh, Screenplay & Direction: Prathap Gandharva, Cinematography: GuruPrasad M.G., Music Directors: Suraj Jois, M.B. Dhruva, Cast: Rakshith Nag, Sanjana Doss, Anusha A, Shashi Kumar, Chethan Durga, Rakshith Kapu, Sudarshan Bharadwaj, Swathi, Ravi Bhat, Raghu Ramanakoppa & Others
The new release of this week, Congratulations Brother, truly deserves congratulations for presenting a neat and enjoyable flick. The concept derived by writer Hari Santosh raises eyebrows at first, but the debutant director’s final treatment gives knowledgeable thought to something seemingly impossible. What the team delivers is a refreshing idea in a social film—very much the need of the hour. The ownership of the title inevitably goes to Karnataka Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, whose popular style of saying “Congratulations Brother” inspired it.
For today’s boys and girls, this film is indeed a new and surprising opening. Traditionally, boys enjoy the upper hand in matters of first love, and girls’ butterfly nature is widely accepted.
Here, we have Siri (Anusha) and Tanu (Sanjana Doss), two individuals who behave like Siamese twins. Both join the same automobile company where Rakshi (Rakshith Nag) works as an assistant manager. Rakshi, a go-lucky guy who enjoys bachelorhood with friends, is attracted to Siri because he sees shades of his mother in her.
When he decides to propose, he receives a shock never heard of before. Siri, during a meeting with Rakshi, brings along her close friend Tanu. Together, they declare that they want to marry the same man and share their husband—Rakshi—for the rest of their lives. Bowled over by this one-plus-one offer, Rakshi finds himself in a quixotic moment. He initially rejects the proposal, but for his love for Siri, he agrees.
Sadly, at this stage, the director does not show grace to Rakshi, who is treated like a servant at Siri and Tanu’s house, especially by the hot-headed Tanu. Realizing that this arrangement won’t work, Rakshi tries a few plots to break the strong bond between Siri and Tanu so that he can choose Siri—but all his attempts fail. Eventually, even the parents agree to Siri and Tanu’s decision, but Rakshi has a different perception of life, adding another layer of curiosity.
Rakshith Nag delivers a scintillating performance. His looks, dialogue delivery, and romantic expressions are superb. Without action, he has excelled through reactions. Anusha, as Siri, is serene and cute. She has a bright future ahead given her abilities. Sanjana is sprightly as Tanu and fits the Bajari-type roles perfectly. Kannada cinema gets two lovely heroines and one hero from this film.
Rakshi’s friends provide perfect timing, leading to hilarious moments filled with peals of laughter. Ravi Bhat, Swathi, and Raghu Ramanakoppa add extra strength to the film. Veteran actor Shashi Kumar delivers a sensible performance as a father. On the music front, the film offers melodious and peppy tunes. Usiire, Maayavi, Hale Sanyasi, and Priti Phajithi are well-placed and suit the situations aptly.
The camera work, costumes, and well-written dialogues add strength to the film and enhance its paisa vasool value. ಇಬ್ಬರು ಹೆಂಡಿರ ಮುದ್ದಿನ ಸುಖವೋ… You better book your tickets to experience it in this 135-minute entertainer.