Title – FOREST, Producer – Kantharaju of NMK Cinemas, Director – Chandramohan, Music – Dharma Vish, Cinematography – Ravikumar, Cast – Raghunandan, Anish Tejashwar, Archana Kottige, Rangayana Raghu, Chikkanna, Sharanya Shetty, Avinash, Deepak Rai Panaje, Prakash Tummunadu, Suraj Pops Sunil Kumar, and others.
Director Chandramohan, known for his comedy films in the past, has taken a daring approach with Forest, blending humor in the first half and intense, furious elements in the second. Chandramohan, who has previously directed films like Double Engine, Bombay Mithai, and Brahmachari, continues his preference for comedy while exploring a more dramatic storyline.
Kudos to producer Kantharaju for trusting Chandramohan’s abilities. The film proves to be an absorbing treat for the masses. The presence of popular actors has allowed the producer to lavishly craft Forest. The film explores how innocent people become victims of circumstance, which ultimately leads to the making of a sequel.
The central issue revolves around the huge sum of money said to have been paid to the notorious forest fugitive Veerappan for the release of the Kannada cinema icon, Dr. Rajkumar. This incident, which occurred over 20 years ago, is the focal point of the film. The name Veerappan is changed to Beera in the film, and the second half centers around a search for hidden treasure—gold biscuits that were kept in a secret location.
As the secret of the hidden treasure reaches the ears of Meenakshi, a beautician, Gopalaswamy, a mantrik, Sunil, Satisha, and Kumara, a half-deaf man, the scenario shifts to the forest.
However, finding the treasure isn’t easy for the five of them. Human nature leads to friction among the group, and the presence of Beera only adds to the chaos surrounding the treasure’s transfer. A supernatural spirit also plays a crucial role, which needs to be controlled. Mantrik Gopalaswamy’s quick thinking helps to remove the outside forces threatening them.
But even then, outside forces continue to intervene. A phone call tracing a number from an old diary complicates matters further. Who are these new forces, what happened to the treasure, and are the five characters safe as these external forces close in? You’ll find the answers in the sequel to Forest.
This is a passable film with a good screenplay that runs for 145 minutes. The comedy sequences featuring Chikkanna, Rangayana Raghu, and the more serious performances from Raghunandan, Anish Tejashwar, and Archana Kottige lift the quality of the film.
The two songs in the film are decent, and the dialogues, along with the timing from the characters, evoke laughter.
Cinematographer Ravikumar does a commendable job, particularly in the deep forest scenes, which make up most of the film. The editing in the second half, however, could have been quicker.
Overall, Forest is worth watching for several reasons, especially for fans of commercial cinema, as content is intact.
