Title: Kamal Sridevi, Producers: Swarnambika Pictures, BK Dhanalakshmi, and Barn Swallow Company, Direction: VA Sunil Kumar, Cinematography: Nagesh Acharya, Music: Keerthan, Cast: Sachin Chaluvarayaswamy, Sangeetha Bhat, Kishore, Ramesh Indira, Akshita Bopaiah, Raghu Shimogga, MS Umesh, Mithra, and others.
With an attractive title, Kamal Sridevi (both names being towering figures in Indian cinema), this Kannada film presents a touching tale that keeps the audience glued to their seats until the last frame. However, while the premise is engaging, its execution could have been better.
First, the treatment of the suspects is rather lacking, and police consultation would have been essential for a more credible investigation. Had director VA Sunil Kumar drawn inspiration from the popular CID Hindi television serial (which has been on air for over two and a half decades), the tension in certain scenes could have been far more gripping.
Despite these shortcomings, the film’s content is awakening for those in distress. It portrays that turning to prostitution is not the ultimate end but rather the result of a desperate need for money. In this case, Devika (alias Sridevi), played by Sangeetha Bhat, is forced into prostitution by life’s strange compulsions. She agrees to enter the profession to earn Rs. 70,000 within a few hours.
Devika contacts a middleman, Mamu (Ramesh Indira), and sets her rate at Rs. 10,000 for one hour with one person. Mamu arranges seven clients for her, one of whom is Kamal (Sachin Chaluvarayaswamy), who has different intentions than the others. Kamal’s goal is to learn about Devika’s pain and use it as material for his next film. Unlike the other clients, he meets Devika six times without any sexual intention.
However, during the seventh encounter, one of the men barges into Room No. 501, and Devika is found dead. The police investigate all those connected to her, but the real culprit remains elusive until the final moments. Before her death, Devika tells Kamal the story of her past, which inspires him to create a deeply emotional film.
Sachin Chaluvarayaswamy, in the early stages of his career, takes on an underdog role and delivers a remarkable performance. For someone of his stature (he is the son of Karnataka’s Agriculture Minister), he could have easily chosen roles that offer greater fame, but his approach to the film industry seems refreshingly different.
Sangeetha Bhat delivers a standout performance as Devika/Sridevi and is undoubtedly a contender for awards. Kishore, a talented actor, has limited screen time in the investigative part of the film. Ramesh Indira shines in his role, contributing significantly to the film’s emotional depth.
The background score, however, serves as a major hindrance. The dialogues often don’t reach the audience clearly, and this detracts from the overall impact. Cinematographer Nagesh Acharya (the first digital cameraman in Kannada cinema) delivers some brilliant shots, providing a strong visual foundation for the film.
Kamal Sridevi presents a unique storytelling pattern, but it could have been more compelling in terms of narrative and character treatment.