The After hours review: 'Krishna Aur Kans' (Animation)

Film: Krishna Aur Kans (Animation)
Director: Vikram Veturi
Cast: AK Hangal, Anupam Kher, Juhi Chawla, Manoj Bajpai, Om Puri, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Supriya Pilgaonkar
Rating: ***

Krishna and stories of his childhood adventures with cousin Balram, friends — Radha, Madhumangal, Subala, Dadhiloba — the gopis and the demons have always made for a staple diet when it comes to tapping mythology on the screen. So, naturally it’s a challenge when it has to be done yet again and done interestingly enough. To a large extent, Veturi’s animated flick scores here. There’s no doubt that the film seems to be a concise version of all the three to four DVDs in the Krishna, the Warrior series that the same studio had earlier released. But this film has enough novelty to make it enjoyable and keep you engrossed even if you have watched all the animated films made on Krishna.

The film though conceptualised almost four years ago seems to be updated on many counts. In fact, it’s even caught on the on-going trend of having item songs. So this one has the demon Putna gyrate to an item number. Well, kids could really do without this one, but it’s done interestingly that makes for a fun watch. Though many may find some part of the lyrics referring to the poison in the demon’s breasts offensive, let’s not forget that the big deal about the demon in the first place was that she killed children by breast-feeding them poisonous milk. And like most Bollywood filmmakers would claim there’s more to the film than its item song, here it is actually the case. The film not only focuses on Krishna slaying the demons and ultimately his evil uncle Kans, but also provides the backdrop of Kans’ equation with his sister and Krishna’s mother Devaki before her marriage to Vasudev. On the downside, many incidents from Krishna’s prankster ways seem to have been compromised by giving more time to Kans and proving his evil ways. So, while Krishna slaying the demons Trinavarta, Bakasur, Putna are explored, Krishna’s other episodes like him dancing on Kaaliya the water snake, or lifting the Govardhan and teaching Indra a lesson have been rushed through in a song without really explaining what’s happening in detail. This may leave the kids and those unaware of the stories confused and with a feeling of being cheated. 

Technically, the film is rather well-done and the 3D effects are impressive. The film is definitely a step up for Indian animation industry. The voiceovers are among the pluses, so is the music. Overall, the film is more of an engaging fare for children, but even the adults accompanying their kids will find themselves enjoying the film just as much, so go for it!