- Director Hardik Gajjar's Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart blends mythology with music and visuals
- Siddharth Gupta portrays Krishna, bringing vulnerability and a modern touch to the role
- The film covers Krishna's life from birth to the Mahabharata and Dwarka's destruction
Director Hardik Gajjar's Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart (Hridayam) is visually stunning and musically powerful even though the VFX sometimes look patchy. Hardik Gajjar -- best known for directing the hit mythological TV show Devon Ke Dev Mahadev and Bhavai starring Pratik Gandhi -- crafts a vibrant saga on Krishna's earthy life, asking the new generation to embrace faith in the age of science.
Siddharth Gupta, a relatively lesser-known face, brings a certain believability and vulnerability as Krishna. The actor, whose credits include the 2014 film Kuku Mathur Ki Jhand Ho Gayi and 2017 series Ragini MMS: Returns, does a decent job bringing the mystical, enigmatic, and omniscient Krishna to life on screen. Siddharth Gupta's almost anonymous acting creds allow the viewers to accept him as a Krishna for the new age, a worthy addition, if not better than his predecessors Swapnil Joshi (Shri Krishna) and Nitish Bharadwaj (Mahabharat).
The film emphasises how Krishna revels in his leela -- troubling the gopis, stealing maakhan, and dancing the night away while playing his flute. Yet he is forced to wield weapons to uphold dharma. This Krishna cries and grows wistful, torn between duty and love. He bleeds like any other mortal and completes his journey as an ordinary man.
From Krishna's birth and discovery of his true identity, to slaying Kans, his first love Radha (Sushmitha Bhat), wives Rukmini (Nivaashiyni Krishnan), Satyabhama (Sanskruti Jayana), and Jambavati, the Mahabharata, and Dwarka's destruction, Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart (Hridayam) delivers a full-circle musical-mythological journey through his life -- narrated via lavish song-and-dance sequences and sprawling sets that sometimes falls short in the visual effects department.
The director draws clear inspiration from masters like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and SS Rajamouli. Be ready for sweeping slow-motion sequences, high-speed chases, and heavy emotional pulls that don't always land.
There are also scattered moments where Krishna is shown championing women's empowerment, slamming patriarchy, and asking humanity to evolve with the times.
Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart (Hridayam) begins with the voiceover of a veteran Bollywood actor who plays a key dual role, if one may say so, in the film.
Irshad Kamil serves as the lyricist on the film which has music composed by Prasad Sashte. Author Amish Tripathi, popular for his mythological book series on Shiva and Ram, receives special thanks from the film's makers.
Also Read | Krishnavataram Part 1 Opening Weekend Box Office Report: Hardik Gajjar's Film Earns Rs 7.32 Crore
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Siddharth Gupta, Sanskruti Jayana, Sushmitha Bhat and Nivaashiyni Krishnan
