'Julie' film review - film starring actress Ramya and Dino Morea

A lot of expectations... a lot of hopes... but many a time things turn upside-down in reality. And Poornima Mohan's debut directorial 'Julie' is just an example. High expectation was obvious as it's a remake of Hindi blockbuster 'Julie' which again was a remake of the popular Malyalam flick 'Chettakari'.

Why Julie failed in Kannada? It tells the story of a single parent, which was written about three decades ago. The film was a revolution and sensation at that time because giving birth to a baby before marriage was considered a sin at that time. The film was a hit because of Julie's fight to get back her rights.

Ramya in Julie

But will it make sense in today's scenario? Certainly not. Single parenting is quite common today. Forget the celebrities, even common people are opting for single and surrogate motherhood. So, it's no more a sensation nor considered as a social issue. Moreover a lot of films have been shot on similar lines in various other languages in the past 30 years and hence, the director has nothing new to offer!

If that is the fate of the subject, even the narration looks very old. Director Poornima Mohan really has not cared much for updates. Technological changes over the years are integral part of one's day-to-day life. But people in 'Julie' still belong to 70's. Their lifestyle, cars, dressing sense, language, attitudes… everything is of last century. What Poornima failed understand is, it gives audience a feeling of seeing an old film on new screen! However, she must be applauded for not making sensuous scenes look vulgar.

As said earlier, 'Julie' disappoints you in all aspects irrespective of the acting and technical departments. Ramya looks cute and can even be compared with Lakshmi (in Julie) to certain extent. But she miserably failed in matching her own previous performances! Dino Morea is just a miss fit. He looks like a 'rock' throughout the film. Ashalatha, Chitra Shenoy, Sihi Kahi Chandru and Ramesh Bhatt have done their best in small roles. Rajesh Ramanath has sincerely continued his copying spree. He has easily lifted tunes of 'My heart is beating', 'Dil kya kare' and 'Bhool gaye sab kuch' and has successfully 'kannadised' it. Locales however, are good particularly Karawar and credit should go to cameraman Janardhan. In a nutshell, Julie is a big letdown!

Direction: Poornima Mohan
Producer: Poornima Mohan
Music: Rajesh Ramanath
Cinematography: Janardhan
Cast: Ramya, Dino Morea, Sihii Kahi Chandru, Shylaja Joshi, Chitra Shenoy, Ashalatha, Ramesh Bhat, Roshan, Deepa etc