| Gultoo | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster | |
| Directed by | Janardhan Chikkanna |
| Screenplay by | Janardhan Chikkanna, Avinash Lakshmaiah |
| Story by | Janardhan Chikkanna |
| Produced by | Vivid Films |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Shanthi Sagar H G |
| Edited by | Bharath M C |
| Music by | Amit Anand |
Production company | Vivid Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 127 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
Gultoo is a 2018 Indian Kannada language cyber-thriller film written and directed by Janardhan Chikkanna.[1] Released by the company Vivid Films, the movie's music is scored by Amit Anand. Debutant Naveen Shankar and Sonu Gowda star along with Rangayana Raghu and Avinash. Shanti Sagar is the cinematographer of the film.[2] The film was the 4000th made in Kannada film industry.[3]
Plot
Alok (Naveen Shankar) is an orphan who becomes famous in his college by hacking an online movie booking website and making his seniors watch a movie which was a task during the Ragging session. After college, he and his friend Aasthi (Ram Dhanush) stay together where Alok works as a Computer Science trainer in a Computer Institute where he falls in love with Pooja (Sonu Gowda). Pooja is later revealed as an undercover officer of the Indian Intelligence Bureau. She seduced and slept with Alok to collect the details and password of his computer. Later with the help of Phaneesh (Pawan Kumar), a techie, she tries to pin Alok, who turns out to be the prime suspect in the theft of the Sudhar data from the storage centre.
Cast
- Naveen Shankar as Alok
- Sonu Gowda as Pooja Ramesh/Anagha
- Avinash as Circle Inspector Avinash
- Rangayana Raghu as Chief Minister Anantharamaiah
- Pawan Kumar as Techie Phaneesh
- Pradeep Doddaiah as lecturer
- Ram Dhanush as Arasiah Thimmappa alias Aasthi
Production
Casting and filming
Naveen Shankar's entry into Gultoo was through association with college batchmate and director Janardhan Chikkanna.[4]
Marketing
“The director has come out with different posters too, which go well with the title and subject of Gultoo. There was a producer-pitch trailer, in which every actor wore glasses with round frames, and this became a highlight".[5]
Soundtrack
| Gultoo | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Amit Anand | |
| Released | 2018 |
| Recorded | 2017 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | 18:28 |
| Label | Vivid Films and Divo |
| Producer | Amit Anand, Hriday Goswami |
Amit Anand has composed the score and songs for the film. The lyrics for the songs are written by Jayanth Kaikini, Kiran Kaverappa and Anoop Ramaswamy Kashyap.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Saalaagi" | Anoop Ramaswamy Kashyap | Saindhavi, Deepak Doddera | 04:03 |
| 2. | "VTU We love you" | Kiran Kaverappa | Raghu Dixit, Ankna Arockiam | 05:32 |
| 3. | "Neenondu Ashcharya" | Jayanth Kaikini | Eesha Suchi, Deepak Doddera | 04:05 |
| 4. | "Kadalaache" | Anoop Ramaswamy Kashyap | Supriya Lohith, Raghuram | 03:51 |
| 5. | "Kaanada Preethi" | Anoop Ramaswamy Kashyap | Jasmine Munns, Amit Anand | 01:01 |
Critical response
The film opened to positive reviews from critics upon theatrical release. Writing for The News Minute, Rakesh says “It comes as a bit of a surprise to see Sandalwood pick up on the topic of Aadhaar and data theft so quickly.”[6] Rating the movie 3.5 out of 5, Sunayana Suresh from The Times of India says “The freshness in the narrative and the extensive research show that director Janardhan Chikkanna is someone to watch out for.”[7] “Gultoo has the elements of a musical-romance and a thriller. But it is spread out in the form of a tragicomedy – a tragicomedy because the viewers are left scratching their heads at the blatant truth staring at them and applauding the makers’ vision at the same time" quoted The First Post. [8] Deccan Chronicle carried the review saying “amidst all sorts of smart ‘leaks’ which has rocked the nation, raising big questions over the safety of all our personal data, here comes a perfect infotainment revolving around one such 'leak’ from another engineer turned director who makes an impressive mark, hacking into a sensible tale in his debut venture.”[9] Prakash from IB Times states that “It is a new-age movie that deals with data theft and exposes the way our data is being mined for money. It tries to showcase how our every single moment is recorded and has a price on the internet. In short, the movie shows how technology can bring misery to our lives but doesn't take a stand on whether tech is good or bad.”[10]
References
- ↑ "Gultoo promises a new face of crime". The Indian Express.
- ↑ "TOI on Gultoo Trailer". The Times of India.
- ↑ "Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce gets set to let the secret out".
- ↑ "Gultoo can't be found in dictionaries: Debutant Naveen Shankar". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ↑ "Gultoo is on crime and privacy: Janardhan Chikkanna". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ↑ "'Gultoo' review: This unusual thriller is a rare find in Kannada cinema". The News Minute. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ↑ Gultoo Movie Review, Trailer, & Show timings at Times of India, retrieved 21 May 2018
- ↑ "Gultoo movie review: Janardhan Chikkanna's potboiler feels relevant in times of Aadhar and Facebook data breach". Firstpost. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ↑ "Gultoo movie review: An engaging 'infotainment'". Deccan Chronicle. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ↑ Upadhyaya, Prakash. "Gultoo movie review: An eye-opening new-age entertainer". International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 21 May 2018.