Head Bush[a] is a 2022 Kannada-language gangster film directed by Shoonya, written by Agni Shridhar, and produced by Dhananjaya and Ramco Somanna under the banner of Daali Pictures, SD Manna Talkies, and Zee Studios. The film features an ensemble cast of Dhananjaya, Balu Nagendra, Payal Rajput (in her Kannada debut), Devaraj, Yogesh, V. Ravichandran, Raghu Mukherjee, Vasishta N. Simha, Sruthi Hariharan, and Prakash Belawadi.
| Head Bush | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Shoonya |
| Written by | Agni Shridhar |
| Produced by | Dhananjaya Ramco Somanna |
| Starring | Dhananjaya Payal Rajput Balu Nagendra Devaraj Vasishta N. Simha V. Ravichandran Yogesh Raghu Mukherjee |
| Cinematography | Sunoj Velayudhan |
| Edited by | Joseph K. Raja Harish Komme |
| Music by | Charan Raj |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Zee Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 138 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
Head Bush was released on 21 October 2022. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics and became a box-office bomb.[2]
Premise
editIn the late 1970s in Bangalore, M. P. Jayaraj alias "Head Bush" and his friends, Ganga and Samson, are called by Devraj Urs's son-in-law, MDN, to head "Indira Brigade" which was formed to protect Indira Gandhi's reputation. With unlimited money flowing from the politicians and cops, Jayaraj takes control over Bangalore, but petty issue triggers Jayaraj's gang, which leads to a personal rivalry between Jayaraj and his gang.
Cast
edit- Dhananjaya as M. P. Jayaraj
- Balu Nagendra as Samson
- Payal Rajput as Reshma
- Sruthi Hariharan as Rathna Prabha
- V. Ravichandran as a professor (guest appearance)
- Vasishta N. Simha as Kotwal Ramachandra
- Yogesh as Ganga
- Raghu Mukherjee as M. D. Nataraj
- Devaraj as Devraj Urs
- Avanthika as Indira Gandhi
- Prakash Belawadi
Soundtrack
editThe music of the film is composed by Charan Raj
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sakkare Putta" | Nagarjun Sharma | Meghana Bhat | 3:18 |
| 2. | "Habibi Habibi" | Dhananjaya | Vagu Mazan Aishwarya Rangarajan | 3: 46 |
| 3. | "Head Bush title track" | Karthik Chennoji Rao | Charan Raj Karthik Chennoji Rao | 3: 30 |
| 4. | "Rowdigalu Naavu Rowdigalu" | Agni Shridhar | Sanjith Hegde and Deepak Blue | 2:52 |
Reception
editSridevi S of The Times of India gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "If you are a fan of commercial films, Head Bush has the right ingredients to offer, that if you can manage to sit through the slow first half".[3]
Muralidhara Khajane of The Hindu wrote "Despite being a well-written gangster drama that marries a political thriller, poor character writing and execution trouble this Dhananjaya film".[4] Y Maheshwara Reddy of Bangalore Mirror gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "For a peek into the 1970s, this film is a must-watch".[5]
Vivek M V of Deccan Herald gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "The makers stay clear of any standpoint. It's also not right to expect the entire truth in a biopic. But is it too much to ask for a team filled with potential to deliver to its fullest?"[6] Shuklaji from The News Minute gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Head Bush, as a film and the first episode of a potential long series, promises a lot but delivers on very, very little because the film, unfortunately, is consumed by its own lack of clarity".[1]
A. Sharadhaa of Cinema Express gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Overall, Head Bush highlights crime, friendship, and family, and makes for a perfect outing for lovers of gangster films".[7]
Controversy
editThe film became controversial because of a scene that allegedly insults Veeragase, a folk dance form of Karnataka. In a film sequence, a character refers to the Dharmaraya chariot as "jijubi" (useless). Sathish, a trustee of the Dharmaraya temple, said that the community was offended by the scene and urged the makers to remove it. He also claimed that the chariot shown in the movie is not a real one and further offered to provide the makers with actual footage of the chariot.[8]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Head Bush review: Dhananjaya's charisma cannot save this sinking ship". The News Minute. 21 October 2022.
- ^ "Head Bush: Will Dhananjaya make part 2 given first one's average BO outing". OTTPlay. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ S, Sridevi (21 October 2022). "Head Bush Movie Review: World of Jayaraj through commercial lens". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ Khajane, Muralidhara (21 October 2022). "'Head Bush' review: Dhananjaya shines in a promising but caricaturish gangster drama". The Hindu.
- ^ "Head Bush movie review: That '70s Show". Bangalore Mirror.
- ^ "'Head Bush' review: Mafia story sans thrill, tension". Deccan Herald. 21 October 2022.
- ^ Sharadhaa, A. (22 October 2022). "Head Bush Movie Review: Intense throwback to the brutal Bengaluru of the 70s". Cinema Express.
- ^ "Dhananjaya's Head Bush lands in controversy for hurting religious sentiments". India Today.