Review – 777 Charlie

Cast: Charlie, Rakshit Shetty, Sangeetha Sringeri, Bobby Simha and others
Director: Kiranraj K
Music: Nobin Paul
Producer: GS Gupta, Rakshit Shetty
Run-Time: 2 Hr 46 Mins
Release Date: 10-06-2022

Rakshit Shetty is a big name in Kannada cinema. After a gap of three long years, he has come out with a film called 777 Charlie. The film is based on a human-dog relationship and has been directed by Kiranraj K. The film has also gotten a wide release and is out in multiple languages.

Plot

Dharma(Rakshit Shetty) is one of the most negative persons around. He is a selfish guy who leads a boring life at home and is not bothered about anything. One fine day, he comes across a dog named Charlie and hates it. He makes all plans to get rid of it but due to an emotional twist in the tale, he gets attached to it. What kind of a difference did Charlie bring into the life of Dharma is the main plot of this endearing film.

Performances

Rakshit Shetty as the rugged and arrogant youth is superb in his role. But the transformation that he brings from bad to good person is emoted so brightly by the Kannada star. The success of any animal-based film depends on the way the pets behave. Here in this film, Charlie, the Labrador is so cute that you cannot stop falling for its actions and behavior. The way Charlie has been trained to emote is the best part of the film. All the scenes of Charlie with Rakshit Shetty are adorable. Bobby Simha is quite good but he did not get much screen space to showcase his talent.

Technicalities

Nobin Paul’s BGM is endearing and especially those scored for all the emotional scenes create an impact. The camerawork is so-so in the initial part of the film but gets better when the film reaches the pre-climax. The screenplay is not that great as scenes get dragged after a point. The director Kiranraj wastes much time establishing the story and once he does that he fails to infuse a gripping screenplay into it. The costumes, visuals, and production design are apt for the backdrop.

Analysis

777 Charlie is based on the bond between a dog and its master. In this aspect, the film scores full marks. The way the dog is brought into the life of Dharma and the manner in which he starts getting emotionally attached is brought out in a very moving manner. The scene where Rakshit finds out about the dog’s problem and the way the whole episode is played out looks so cool.

When it comes to the errors, the film’s major drawback is the predictable storyline. In the past, there have been so many stories made about the man-dog relationship and Charlie is no different. Only the backdrop has changed. All the issues that are created in the narration are well known and for twists or drama-wise, there is nothing that will surprise you in the film.

Sangeetha Sringeri plays a key role and her character looks half-baked though she has a major part in the proceedings. In order to add more drama, director Kiranraj has added too many melodramatic moments in the second half which look forced and feel like speed breakers in the narrative. But what keeps us going is the chemistry between Charlie and Dharma as their scenes are well etched into the narrative.

In a way, you can say that 777 Charlie is not a very novel attempt in this genre but the narration is extremely honest and the performances are sincere. The film talks about the adoption of animals and will strike a chord with pet lovers. You will have a feeling of ‘been there done that’ kind of a scenario while watching this film but still, 777 Charlie gives you some endearing moments to cherish barring its excessive runtime.

Bottom Line : Cherish The Man-Dog Bonding