Kabzaa

I had a terrible time sitting through this random mish-mash of utterly nonsense sequence of unrelated poorly made scenes. In a time when renaissance is happening in the Kannada film world to restore is glorious past, this expands a new low standard. And this is not experimental failure. It is some people's jealously and FOMO about KGF vision and trying to latch on the the wave. But with want intention, I fail to understand.

This movie made me understand the foundations of a cinema - Story, Screenplay, Direction & Editing. This movie forgets about all these, it is non-existent and then sets on to make some crappy dark visual scenes and then try to stich them to make some utterly non-sensical crap. And all the art sets and BGM is left over unused stuff from KGF crammed in last minute unbaked effort to give some bang. No cohesiveness, utterly garbage. I literally cannot even objectively criticize any specific aspects. It is that bad. WTF!!! Seriously. This is one of the most horrible movies I have seen.

The only positives (which can be utilized properly in a different movie) are Shriya Saran and Kiccha Sudeeps's voiceover.

Kabzaa (2023) : Movie Review -

R. Chandru's ambitious action drama, Kabzaa, brings three superstars together: Upendra, Kichcha Sudeep, and Shiva Rajkumar. The biggest is, of course, Upendra Sir, who has defined Kannada cinema with some of his pathbreaking works way before anyone would have imagined it. I am a fan of that Upendra sir, not this. R. Chandru's Magnus opus has no head and no tail. Action, loud BGM, and grandeur-that's all there is to it, and it's totally intolerable. What an absolute waste of time, money, and talent. Just because KGF did wonders at the Indian box office doesn't mean that Sandalwood should have tried to make another one of it and forgotten about itself. KGF is not even in top 10 best films in the last 5-6 years from Kannada cinema, forget in the decade or all-time. Then who had this silly notion that one could try to replicate it with different superstars and directors? Kabzaa is not KGF, but it is a wannabe KGF. While doing so, it did not become either one.

Kabzaa Part 1 kicks off in the pre-independence era with the child of a freedom fighter, Arkeshwara, living with his mother and brother. Soon India gets independence, and the next thing you know, you are in the 1970s with the adult version of Arkeshwara, played by Upendra. He is an Air Force soldier now, but he is forced to join the dark world of the Underworld as his brother is killed by a powerful gangster. To take revenge for his brother's death, Arkeshwara kills the local gangster and becomes a sort of protector, a big-time gangster in Amarapur. Madhumati (Shriya Saran) marries Arkeshwara against her father's wishes, who is a political giant. Arkeshwara's fear spread way up North, and the biggest of gangsters are now after him, alongside a strong cop, Bhargava Bakshi (Kichcha Sundeep). There is a surprise element in the climax, but you'll have to wait for part two for that (including Bhargava's full-fledged role).

Written by R. Chandru alone, Kabzaa is a terrible script for today's era. The conflicts are so old that even your grandpa will call them outdated for his era. And don't ask about logic, because there isn't any. From where it begins to where it ends, there is no connect to it. Kabzaa proves how scattered a screenplay can be. With those overdramatic pauses, irritating blackouts, constant knockout moments, and what not, Kabzaa tests your patience every minute for two long hours. Who'd expect a romance during this black massacre? But Kabzaa has it. Who'd expect twists from the 1950s? Kabzaa got them. An over-elevated action becomes boring in the first quarter only, but then you have to endure it for the next three quarters. Poor you, you just need a mobile and good internet to have some distraction as a moment of relief.

I am still confused about whether or not we should talk about performances, as this is not a performance-driven film at all. You'll see a lot of acting in "UI" from Upendra, but Kabzaa is not the same tonic. He gets into the mass action zone, and a very hardcore one; if that pleases you, then you are lucky. But don't expect anything else. Kichcha has a small role, and he's mostly a narrator, so let's wait for his performance in the second part. Shriya Saran looks gorgeous in her traditional avatar and dances well on one song, and that's the best you get to see. Those pauses for dated dialogue could have killed me without any weapon. Murali Sharma, Nawab Khan, John Kokken, Tahaa Shah, Pramod Shetty, and others are there only to deliver the dialogue in a typical accent and show machoism.

Coming back to loud background music, I guess the Kannada audience has some good ears for them. I remember visiting an ear specialist right after KGF 2 FDFS, and Kabzaa almost had me in the same zone. I still don't know what "loud BGM" means. Does it indicate aggression, expression, or anything else? The cinematography captures good frames of big-screen grandeur, which is indeed big for Sandalwood. As mentioned above, dialogues are too cheesy to digest in 2023. R. Chandru's direction is extremely hardcore and is only and only focused on larger-than-life commercial filmmaking, and that's far from logical and intelligent cinema. Kabzaa makes you uncomfortable and leaves you restless to leave the auditorium, unless you enjoy such mindless masala flicks. Even commercial cinema is changing nowadays, so you better be aware of what's good and what's crap. Kabzaa isn't the former, for sure.

RATING - 3/10*

Wow, what an incredible feat R. Chandru has accomplished! I mean, it takes some serious skill to put together a blatant rip-off of Prashant Neel's three movies all at once. From the plot to the screenplay, it's a total hack job, and let's not forget about the stolen dialogue and visuals that make it look like a poor man's version of Neel's work(all three of his movies considered).

It's truly admirable how R. Chandru tried to showcase his "vision" for cinema, but I guess he forgot that he was just looking through someone else's lens from decades ago. Hats off to the people who managed to make this movie a reality, but let's face it, it's nothing more than below-average filth.

And let's talk about the inclusion of "Kichha" Sudeep and "Triple STAR" Shivrajkumar in the movie as cameo roles. I mean, why bother including their names to attract an audience when all you're delivering is copycat garbage?

Why put even promote "kichha" and "Shivanna" in posters when they are a cameo? Please dont spoile Kannada industry with such filth, just you got money When did "kichha" suddenly become "Baadshaa"? It's a mystery!

And you are spoilng "real star" Uppi's impression with "INDIAN real star".

R. Chandru, it's time to face the music. Promoting your movie based on the popularity of other actors is a publicity stunt, and it only shows how incapable you are compared to them. I suggest you cut your losses and stop directing movies like this at a national level. It's only spoiling the image of the existing talent we already have.

I mean this is a clear rip off all along, if "agasthya" wear a 6 inch lion tattoo on his arm, our Uppi is given a 12inch cat like tattoo on his wide chest, and if Rocky smokes cigarettes.. it's only cigars for our hero in kabzaa. And I have no idea why Suddeep has a voice over, whatever he speaks is pain to listen in textbook Kannada ( worst background score and too loud throughout movie) the flow all around..I mean "Kichha" speaks only things that's already shown or know. Whats the point?

I mean R.chandru, this is all I could tell you, could point way more, but all I ask is please go back to drawing board and get to know how movies are made and when you have budget like this. (Ps- I suggest you watching some Korean movies and at what Budget they are made at)

In summary, well done, R. Chandru. You managed to create a work of art that's a complete copy of someone else's work. Bravo.

This movie doesn't deserve 1/10 stars. Most annoying movie watched on big screen recent days.

If u want to spoil ur peace of mind then this movie is for you.

So u can watch movie wisely. If u wnt to don't spoil ur HAPPINESS of any day then don't go.

This movie has 0 impactful dialogue which goes over the head. U can't imagine this movie will test ur patience. U will try to sit back on seat untill shivanna comes on screen.

Totally I'm regretting why i went to this movie by travelling 50km from my native. I'll never forget the experience of this movie. So i suggesting if u r ready to face such movie then go for it Aall the best...

This has been one of the most painful experiences I've had watching a kannada movie. Nothing works right from the dialogues to conversations between the lead pair, non lipsyncing character artists, loudest music which makes you want to rip your ears out, nonsensical story with no logic or motive, nothing hits the right spot.

The lead character Arka has a motive only until a certain point, but he goes on a killing spree taking down everyone and capturing everything without any logic, there's no motive behind anything he does.

Shivanna's entry is so bizarre that he is completely wasted. That scene(Actually entire movie) gives a new meaning to "Kuch bhi"

Such movies spoil the image created by KGF and Kantara which try and improve kannada cinema industry standards. Such movies are an insult to their efforts.