The banners and posters proclaimed it was a Poornima Mohan film. Her husband is a film producer-distributor; her father-in-law, producer of several blockbuster Kannada films and an influential theatre owner. So, one expected a good product. Alas, Mohan errs in her first attempt. Julie, a remake of K S Sethumadhavan's Malayalam film from the 1970s, Chattakari also remade in Hindi -- is a very ordinary product.
Lakshmi had the title role in both Chattakari and Julie and was capitulated to stardom. After three decades, the same story has a 2006 version with Ramya and Dino Morea in the lead. The Kannada version is based more on the Hindi film. The narration and two songs are a little more provocative than the ones seen in its Hindi counterpart.
The problem with Mohan's film is she has not made any effort to make it acceptable to a present day audience. She presents it as if we still live in the 1970s! Today, the way society looks at single parents or issues like abortion is completely different. The dresses worn by the characters may be modern, but the mindset belongs to the past and that is the film's biggest drawback.
As it was meant to be a scene-to-scene remake of the Hindi film, the coastal areas of Karwar and Goa form the backdrop. Poornima has chosen some good locations, but her cameraman Janardhan has not contributed much to elevate the film's quality. Even the filming of the songs does not rise above the mediocre.
In terms of performance, Ramya tried her best to deliver. Bollywood actor Dino Morea, who hails from Bangalore, is too static and stone-faced. He is the weakest in the film. Character artists like Sihi Kahi Chandru and Ramesh Bhat have done well in their meaty roles though. Chitra Shenoy overacts. And as the music has been lifted straight from the Hindi film, what can one say about Rajesh Ramanath's score?
The final product simply lacks the impact of the original.
Rediff Rating: 
