By Vasishta
Title – Royal, Producers – Jayanna and Bhogendra, Direction – Dinakar Toogudeepa, Music – Charan Raj, Cinematography – Sanketh Mysuru, Cast – Virat, Sanjana Anand, Raghu Mukerjee, Chaya Singh, Achyuth Kumar, Rangayana Raghu, Pramod Shetty, Ravi Bhat, Gopalakrishna Deshpande, Gaurav Shetty, Girish, BM Giriraj, and others.
It’s not RCB, but RCD! The Royal Challenge of Dinakar brings us an exciting premise, but falls short of the “royal” expectations set by the director. The first half of the film feels like ABCD (anybody can do it), and while the second half is eagerly anticipated for the “challenges” Dinakar is known for, it ultimately doesn’t live up to the director’s claims. The film sticks to a formulaic approach, revealing Dinakar’s limited range in terms of skill, and the much-touted justice for a character who has cleared Rs. 660 crores in business doesn’t feel fully realized.
Overall, Royal is just another passable, mediocre film from Dinakar. The first half is consumed by tricks and character-building, and by the time the audience waits for the post-interval part, the regular commercial cinema tropes start to take over.
In a nutshell, Royal is close to the heart on the mother angle to the subject. The mother figure, who encourages the building of the SSF Company and later demonstrates a strong social conscience, deserves praise for her portrayal in the narrative.
Virat (Krishna), a trickster with a knack for making money easily, dreams of living a royal life. The second half of the film explores his journey.
Krishna is brought into the SSF Company as CEO, which comes as a shock to both him and the audience. His surname, Saregal, lands him a place in an affluent business family. The “royal” life Krishna had been hoping for seems to have arrived, but it’s not as easy as it looks. To secure his position as CEO, Krishna must clear an outstanding loan of over 500 crores. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Krishna decides to sell the company to a competitor. However, as the story unfolds, Krishna learns about the devastating losses his family suffered due to the opposing company, led by Raghu Mukerjee’s character. Now, it’s a matter of settling both real bank accounts and personal scores.
Virat, as Krishna, delivers a performance full of excitement and energy. He has done well in his role. Sanjana Anand looks beautiful, though her dialogue delivery could use some refinement. Chaya Singh, as mother Seetha, delivers a strong performance with good ideals. Raghu Mukerjee and Achyuth Kumar also stand out with brilliant performances.
Two of Charan Raj’s songs are quite catchy and foot-tapping. Cinematography by Sanketh Mysuru is clean and effective, capturing the essence of the story.
Dinakar’s long-awaited directorial venture could have done better given the current competitive environment, but it still holds some merit.
