‘Melody Drama’ movie review: A soulless musical journey with missed redemption

Express News Service

Mistakes are unavoidable in life, but redemption is always within reach. This is the underlying theme of Melody Drama. However, upon watching the film, one can’t help but notice the director’s own mistakes and the path to his redemption may take some time.

Melody Drama begins with the stunning visuals of Jog Falls, and the picturesque beauty momentarily reminded me of Mungaru Male. However, when it comes to this film, it falls far short of achieving classic status. Melody Drama relies heavily on music and voiceovers at various intervals, with less emphasis on dialogue interaction.

The story revolves around Karthik (Satya Shraya), who believes that love and relationships are based on faith. Seeking solace in his life, he embarks on a road trip. On the other hand, Hitha (Supriya Sathyanarayan), a bride-to-be, finds herself in a state of confusion and runs away from the wedding hall. She seeks help from Karthik, who is covering his face with a mask. Although Karthik drops her off, fate brings them together again.

Their journey starts from Mysuru and takes them to Madikere, Koppa, Hubbali, and finally Bijapur, and at one point their identities and relationship status are revealed. Throughout this journey, the director takes us to the past through flashbacks, and it becomes clear that Karthik is deeply in love with Hitha. Although Hitha reciprocates her love, she is practical and explains that she cannot marry him as she does not want to go against her mother’s wishes and decides to marry her father’s best friend’s son, Sanju. However, circumstances change at the wedding hall, and she ultimately ends up marrying Karthik.

Hitha is content with Karthik as a husband but not satisfied with his profession as a Recovery agent. She wants him to quit his job, and he ends up owning a pre-car service business. However, when Hitha discovers that Karthik was the reason why the boy (Sanju) chosen by her mother didn’t show up at the wedding hall, differences arise, and the couple separate.

Will this road trip help them reconcile, or will Hitha return to following her mother’s wishes? The answers lead to a cold and unsatisfying climax.

Director Manju Karthik aimed to justify the title Melody Drama by making it musical, but he got carried away in the process. He attempted to convey the entire film through songs. Despite having seven soulful tracks composed by Kiran Ravindranath and having renowned singers Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher, and Palak Muchhal lending their voices to various tracks, and with lyrics penned by Jayant Kaikini, V Nagendra Prasad, and Dhananjay Ranjan, the songs do not make a soulful impact. While the songs individually are good, the repetitive background score and the excessive number of songs hinder the narrative.

Furthermore, the director’s vision of portraying love and relationships in the story is commendable, but the execution is a complete mess. The first half of the film mainly revolves around Karthik stalking Hitha and their travel, which serves no purpose. The crux of the entire film lies in the second half, where the secret of the two individuals, who initially appear as strangers, being husband and wife is revealed too soon. The director attempts to introduce twists and turns but fails to develop them further.

Certain characters are introduced to intervene in the story, like Rajesh Nataranga, who portrays an army officer and adds a touch of father-daughter sentiment, and a child artist who portrays the younger version of Hitha. The significance of these characters is justified towards the end when Karthik fulfills Hitha’s dream of seeing Gol Gumbaz, which she expressed to her father as a child. Another character, Anu Prabhakar, portrays an area don, but her presence lacks logical explanation, except for adding fuel to the growing differences between the couple. Rangayana Raghu appears in a guest role as a nomad, which once again serves no purpose. The same can be said of Chetan Chandra’s inexplicable cameo too. 

The biggest drawback of the film lies in its lead actors. Satya, who plays the protagonist in this emotional love story, fails to bring any depth to his character. Whether in happy or sad moments, his portrayal remains stiff, making it difficult for the audience to connect with him. Supriya, coming from a TV serial background, struggles to grasp the nuances of the silver screen. Despite having the opportunity to showcase her talent and significant screen presence, she fails to effectively carry their love story. At times, the plot becomes confusing, leaving the viewers unsure of what is happening. Bala Rajawadi and Lakshmi Siddaiah provide support to the film in their respective roles, but their efforts do not contribute significantly. 

The only redeeming aspect of Melody Drama is the cinematography by Manu D B Halli, who beautifully captures aerial views and the breathtaking landscapes of Karnataka. However, apart from that, the film feels soulless in terms of its music, story, and character development. It is advisable to skip this musical journey and instead revisit the enchanting experience of watching Mungaru Male once again.

Melody Drama 
Director: Steven Caple Jr
Cast: Satya Shraya, Supritha Sathyanarayan, Rangayana Raghu, Anu Prabhakar, and Rajesh Nataranga 

<br /> Mistakes are unavoidable in life, but redemption is always within reach. This is the underlying theme of Melody Drama. However, upon watching the film, one can’t help but notice the director’s own mistakes and the path to his redemption may take some time.</p> <p>Melody Drama begins with the stunning visuals of Jog Falls, and the picturesque beauty momentarily reminded me of Mungaru Male. However, when it comes to this film, it falls far short of achieving classic status. Melody Drama relies heavily on music and voiceovers at various intervals, with less emphasis on dialogue interaction.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.83 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.83 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>The story revolves around Karthik (Satya Shraya), who believes that love and relationships are based on faith. Seeking solace in his life, he embarks on a road trip. On the other hand, Hitha (Supriya Sathyanarayan), a bride-to-be, finds herself in a state of confusion and runs away from the wedding hall. She seeks help from Karthik, who is covering his face with a mask. Although Karthik drops her off, fate brings them together again.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>Their journey starts from Mysuru and takes them to Madikere, Koppa, Hubbali, and finally Bijapur, and at one point their identities and relationship status are revealed. Throughout this journey, the director takes us to the past through flashbacks, and it becomes clear that Karthik is deeply in love with Hitha. Although Hitha reciprocates her love, she is practical and explains that she cannot marry him as she does not want to go against her mother’s wishes and decides to marry her father’s best friend’s son, Sanju. However, circumstances change at the wedding hall, and she ultimately ends up marrying Karthik.</p> <p>Hitha is content with Karthik as a husband but not satisfied with his profession as a Recovery agent. She wants him to quit his job, and he ends up owning a pre-car service business. However, when Hitha discovers that Karthik was the reason why the boy (Sanju) chosen by her mother didn’t show up at the wedding hall, differences arise, and the couple separate.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.83 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.83 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Will this road trip help them reconcile, or will Hitha return to following her mother’s wishes? The answers lead to a cold and unsatisfying climax.</p> <p>Director Manju Karthik aimed to justify the title Melody Drama by making it musical, but he got carried away in the process. He attempted to convey the entire film through songs. Despite having seven soulful tracks composed by Kiran Ravindranath and having renowned singers Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher, and Palak Muchhal lending their voices to various tracks, and with lyrics penned by Jayant Kaikini, V Nagendra Prasad, and Dhananjay Ranjan, the songs do not make a soulful impact. While the songs individually are good, the repetitive background score and the excessive number of songs hinder the narrative.</p> <p>Furthermore, the director’s vision of portraying love and relationships in the story is commendable, but the execution is a complete mess. The first half of the film mainly revolves around Karthik stalking Hitha and their travel, which serves no purpose. The crux of the entire film lies in the second half, where the secret of the two individuals, who initially appear as strangers, being husband and wife is revealed too soon. The director attempts to introduce twists and turns but fails to develop them further.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.83 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.83 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Certain characters are introduced to intervene in the story, like Rajesh Nataranga, who portrays an army officer and adds a touch of father-daughter sentiment, and a child artist who portrays the younger version of Hitha. The significance of these characters is justified towards the end when Karthik fulfills Hitha’s dream of seeing Gol Gumbaz, which she expressed to her father as a child. Another character, Anu Prabhakar, portrays an area don, but her presence lacks logical explanation, except for adding fuel to the growing differences between the couple. Rangayana Raghu appears in a guest role as a nomad, which once again serves no purpose. The same can be said of Chetan Chandra’s inexplicable cameo too. </p> <p>The biggest drawback of the film lies in its lead actors. Satya, who plays the protagonist in this emotional love story, fails to bring any depth to his character. Whether in happy or sad moments, his portrayal remains stiff, making it difficult for the audience to connect with him. Supriya, coming from a TV serial background, struggles to grasp the nuances of the silver screen. Despite having the opportunity to showcase her talent and significant screen presence, she fails to effectively carry their love story. At times, the plot becomes confusing, leaving the viewers unsure of what is happening. Bala Rajawadi and Lakshmi Siddaiah provide support to the film in their respective roles, but their efforts do not contribute significantly. </p> <p>The only redeeming aspect of Melody Drama is the cinematography by Manu D B Halli, who beautifully captures aerial views and the breathtaking landscapes of Karnataka. However, apart from that, the film feels soulless in terms of its music, story, and character development. It is advisable to skip this musical journey and instead revisit the enchanting experience of watching Mungaru Male once again.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.83 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.83 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Melody Drama <br /> Director: Steven Caple Jr<br /> Cast: Satya Shraya, Supritha Sathyanarayan, Rangayana Raghu, Anu Prabhakar, and Rajesh Nataranga <br />