‘Gaalipata 2’ movie review: An entertaining and emotional tale of friendship

Anant Nag’s fantastic portrayal as a teacher and Ganesh’s sentimental turn are the hallmarks of this engaging film, which ends with an emotional climax

The image of kites comes very often when someone is engrossed with his/her thoughts, or when they feel shackled by something and want to be free from that. The kite also symbolises the quest for freedom, hope, happiness, youth, friendship, relationship and fate, among other things. Gaalipata 2, directed by Yogaraj Bhat, is all about these metaphors; an entertaining and emotional tale of friendship.

Gaalipata 2 isn’t a direct sequel to the 2008 original, though a few characters have been retained in this film. It is the story of three boys falling in love with three girls, and is set in two different time zones. While two of them succeed in taking their love stories to a happy ending, the third struggles with his love life and destiny works against him.

The film opens with three friends Gani (Ganesh), Digi (Diganth) and Bhushan (Pawan Kumar) returning to a rain-drenched Malnad town called Neer Kote — where they studied their post-graduation — on learning about the deteriorating health of their bellowed Kannada teacher. From here, the story moves back in time to narrate the strategies stealthily employed by these three to make their love interests fall for them.

Just like how the kite flies, when the thread is thin, the storyline of Gaalipata 2 is thin and has traces of a few Bollywood films in the same genre. But it is still fun to watch with Bhat’s signature narrative style.

Apart from the theme of friendship, the film also brings in the relationship between a teacher and his students. Anant Nag essays the character of a Kannada teacher and his emotional journey with the students is the backdrop of the kite theme and philosophy. The film also touches on the relationship between parents and children, though in a peripheral manner.

Bhat has honed a film which will connect with people of all ages, as it has a universal theme. Watching Gaalipata 2 is like savouring idlis, dosas and vadas despite the presence of pizzas and pasta, at a time when everything around us is changing with technology and the modernisation of life.

Anant Nag’s fantastic portrayal as a teacher and Ganesh’s sentimental turn are the hallmarks of this film, which ends with an emotion-filled climax. Pawan Kumar, who struggles initially to portray the boyish Bhushan, gains a hold on the character towards the end. Diganth is in his usual fine form. Vaibhavi Shandilya, Sharmila Mandre and Samyuktha Menon justify their characters.