Hari Santhosh has adapted historical facts from BL Venu's book on the Palegars of Chitradurga, to dish out a commercial film replete with action, emotions and even mother sentiment. This film is set in one of the darker times during the reign of the Palegars of Chitradurga.
With no strong king and a cunning commander-in-chief, the story explores how Bicchugatthi Barma rises up to take on Dalavayi Muddanna. There are enough emotional subplots that add to the emotional content of the film.
There are very few historicals that have been made in Kannada cinema and this film tries to capture the ethos of the time. The narrative moves forward through emotions and actions, as opposed to lavish sets that one usually sees in movies from this genre.
Rajavardan stands out in this film; his towering screen presence and performance is commendable. Hariprriya has a role that allows her to explore action and emotions and she delivers. Prabhakar as Muddanna looks menacing, but his dubbing is a big concern, as the pronunciation of Kannada can evoke unnecessary laughs.
While the narrative of the film has the emotional content to keep one intrigued, the editing does falter. Thus said, Bicchugatthi is an interesting watch for those interested in historicals or even looking for a commercial outing.