Review: 'Krishna Aur Kans' doesn't rise above the average level

New Delhi: How to infuse a vivid body language into a character is one of the biggest hurdles in the way of animation films. ‘Krishna Aur Kans’ also faces the same problem but nearly perfect voice-overs and good visualisation save the day for the film.

There is nothing extraordinary about a story that has been told countless number of times through books, serials and cartoons, so all that an informed viewer can demand of is an innovative treatment. Backed up by Reliance Animation, the film boasts of some established names that are associated with the film. For example, Juhi Chwala has given voice for Yashoda, Manoj Bajpayee does the same for Nand, Om Puri plays Kans and Mukesh Khanna dons the role of Kans’ minister, however one voice that overshadows all these stars is of Prachi Save (Krishna).

It’s Prachi’s voice modulation and Kamlesh Pandey’s witty writing that provides ‘Krishna Aur Kans’ an edge over other Indian animated films such as ‘Arjun’ and ‘Roadside Romeo’. Directed by Vikram Veturi, the film’s strongest point is the correct selection of language meter. A lot of popular phrases have been used in the film but with a twist which has made them sound familiar and fit for the situation. ‘Aasmaan se gira, khajoor pe atka’ becomes ‘Aakaash se gira, ped pe atka’, similarly ‘Mere bachche ko kisi ki nazar na lage’ has been modified into ‘Mere lalla ko kisi ki drishti na lage’.

$Review: \'Krishna Aur Kans\' remains an average film$

\'Krishna Aur Kans\' finds a way out for showcasing an item song featuring none other than Putna.

‘Krishna Aur Kans’ is strictly a children’s film with funny imagination of duels between Krishna and demons sent by Kans. Though Om Puri’s voice gives a hint of his age on high pitched dialogues, still he manages to evoke repulsion in more than one scene.

The storyteller doesn’t delve too much into Krishna’s adolescence and it restricts the film from looking matured. Basic storyline is pretty simple, Krishna is a ‘Narayan’ avatar and his prime duty is to set free the harassed people of Mathura from the evil clutches of Kans. The little charming boy kills a lot of Kans’ aids before making the final assault amidst a huge crowd in a giant size stadium.

Krishna is a prankster but not to the level of obscenity, there is just one reference of Krishna stealing clothes of swimming beauties. Monotony is definitely there, which gets enhanced due to loud and eerie background score, but then can you really tell anything new about Krishna’s endeavours!

It is difficult to figure out that what stopped the director from making Kans a grey character because initially the film tries to bring out his soft side also but then within moments Kans changes into a real monster, this makes the pivotal character of Kans a bit superficial.

Camera movements are a product of well though-out conceptualisation because it takes care of the popular imagination; the action sequence in the climax is almost on the lines of Bollywood films that Indian audiences are familiar with.

A black and white sequence is worth mentioning because it demonstrates the filmmaker’s vision to some extent. In this sequence, Kans plucks the petals of a flower to establish the killings of six children of Devaki and Vasudev (Played by Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar).

‘Krishna Aur Kans’ finds a way out for showcasing an item song featuring none other than Putna. It amazes how accustomed have we become to item performances that an item number by Putna doesn’t look even an inch out of place.

With good production values, ‘Krishna Aur Kans’ is childish but enjoyable, but you really need to avoid the lack of excellence in animation.

Marred by average animation, ‘Krishna Aur Kans’ deserves 2 out of 5 for good voice-overs and Putna’s item number.