Yash

(Netflix Streaming, June 2022) Either the selection of Indian movies that has come to my attention lately is completely off, or I’m overdosing on the “lone action hero fights against powerful organized crime cartels” formula. KGF’s first chapter is another take on this, except that instead of battling terrorists, redwood cartels or drug dealers, this protagonist fights against a gold-mine magnate. There’s some interest in featuring dual timelines, with the modern one focusing on a banned book and a media interview, but the bulk of the story is the same old stuff, with Yash ably playing an action hero whose chances of succeeding are never in doubt (even as we wait for KGF: Chapter 2). Writer-director Prashanth Neel sets the story in 1978 and clearly has fun repurposing classic Hollywood Western cinematography in the historical context of India, but much of the film plays like a very contemporary action movie, with the protagonist beating down scores of enemies along the way. Still, at 155 minutes, there is a lot of slack left in the film – especially for an action movie that should snap from one sequence to another. There are highlights (such as a fight around burning oil drums) and some really good cinematography, but while the film was hailed as the biggest production to date from the Kannada film industry, it does end up feeling like far too many other Indian films. Maybe Chapter 2 will be more distinctive… but I’m not all that hopeful. Like this first chapter, it will most likely be watchable, yet instantly forgettable.