Director Jayaramayya's Moorkha (fool) -- for which he has also written the screenplay -- should have been released three decades ago. The film's worn-out theme would have been unacceptable even in the 1980s.

Jayaramayya must really believe in the proverb old is gold. Every thing connected to the film is old. The narration has the stamp of the age-old style. Even the camera angles remind you of some bad films of the 1970s.

The movie has 50-plus Kashinath playing an unemployed young man who hates his parents (played well by the talented Umashri and Bank Janardhan) and his own brother's exploitation of his sister-in-law. The harassed sister-in-law (played by Bhavya, a leading heroine of the 1980s) tries to commit suicide, but is saved by a young woman (Namratha).

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Namratha is furious at Bhavya's husband and parents. She gets into the house as Kashinath's wife, a contractual agreement only to teach a lesson to his parents. From then on, the movie is about how Namratha tries to bring Umashri and Janardhan to heel.

Kashinath should realise that gone are the days when the audience lapped up his brand of comedy -- with double meaning dialogues and filthy narratives. Even in his hey days, Kashinath's films were profitable because they were made on shoestring budgets.

A team of youngsters like Upendra and Manohar, who later became stars, wrote the scripts. If not the whole film, at least the dialogues and some comical situations evoked laughter. Devoid of that support, Kashinath had almost retired from the film industry.

Jayaramayya has tried to resurrect Kashinath, and failed miserably. A few years ago, Jayaramayya had directed April Fool, with Ambareesh. But in Moorkha, he has again fooled the audience with his inept handling of the subject. Kashinath looks too old and worn out in the song sequences. In fact, his disinterest in the whole project is evident.

The only attraction is Umashri, who has acted brilliantly. Namratha looks sexy, but her acting is not that hot. Producer B M Nagaraj has played a role, but his poker face even in some emotional sequences perhaps explains why the film has been produced so badly. Manohar's music is just ordinary.

Statutory Warning: If you still want to watch Moorkha, do so at your own risk.