Kannada actor-filmmaker Raj B Shetty, who plays the protagonist in 'Toby', could not have been more accurate when he said he loves broken characters. 'Toby', directed by Basil Alchalakkal and written by Raj himself, is the epitome of those blown to smithereens. It is a tale of a man who loses himself in the process of finding love - for his daughter.
Raj B Shetty proves again what a fine actor he is as he essays the titular character. Toby is a speech-impaired man, who had lost his voice in an accident as a boy. He is kept at a remand home since he is unruly and lands in jail.
Once he leaves jail, he takes up a job at a mortuary. Catching fish from the local river with his friend Damodaran becomes his favourite pastime. During one such fishing session, the duo discover an abandoned baby girl in the river. Toby 'adopts' the girl and names her Jenny.
Toby's endearing relationship with Jenny forms the crux of the story, which has an equal measure of romance, revenge and violence.
Raj as Toby does not carry the weight of his previous characters. The level of control and lucidity he possesses over his character is truly awe-inspiring. Portraying a speech-impaired man convincingly on screen is a challenging task, but Raj makes it seem easy. You smile when he smiles, you cry when he cries.
Chaitra Achar as Jenny has also perfectly essayed the character. You can't say whether she is acting or living the character.
Deepak Shetty who plays Ananda, the villain in the movie has also done a good job just like the other characters. The filmmakers have managed to add essence to short story writer T K Dayanand's work with the script, beautiful cinematography and music. The length and predictability in the later part of the second half affect the film but the performances of all the lead characters will carry you forward.
