Anna Bond was released on 1 May 2012 and received mixed reviews from critics.[9]
Plot
Ravi alias Bond Ravi, a karate champion who works as a reflexologist of Shingapoore, meets Meera on a bus and falls in love with her. One day, Ravi meets Meera and her sister Divya, who seeks Ravi's help to make a documentary film. Before leaving the village, Meera tells Ravi to achieve something big in life. Ravi, along with his friend Chapathi Babu, leaves his village.
On the way, they meet a military personnel, who is ordered to tend the wounds of Major Chandrakanth. A sudden shoot begins from a crime boss and terrorist named Charlie. Bond Ravi helps Chandrakanth by knocking Charlie when he tried to kill Chandrakanth. Ravi and Meera, who is revealed to be Chandrakanth's daughter, grow closer and they begin a relationship.
Charlie is in lookout for his daughter who thinks that his daughter is with Chandrakanth. While hunting for his daughter, Charlie kills Divya as he assumed her to be Chandrakanth's daughter. However, Chandrakanth reveals that Divya is actually Charlie's daughter, where an enraged Charlie kidnaps Meera.
Ravi tries to locate Charlie by interrogating the subordinates by donning the pseudonym Anna Bond where he finds Charlie's hideout and engages in a cage fight with Charlie's henchman and defeats them. Ravi and Charlie play a game of death where Ravi kills Charlie, destroys the hideout and reunites with Meera where he also continues his vigilante activities.
Anna Bond is the second Puneeth Rajkumar movie with Duniya Soori after the acclaimed and highly successful 2010 film Jackie.[10][11] The film was officially launched on 7 October 2011, a day after the release of Puneet's film Paramathma,[6] and filming commenced on 10 October.[12] Being a big budget film, it is said to have a story with a revolutionary concept, but with the entertainment quotient intact and a lot of graphics to support its narration.[13]
The film was shot in Bangalore, Coorg and Kanakapura.[14] The film unit also shot two songs in Spain among the fanfare of locals to watch the song and dance.[15]
Anna Bond received generally mixed reviews from critics who praised the cast performances, cinematography, music and action sequences, but criticised its screenwriting.
The Times of India scored 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Puneet, who looks smart and has delivered an amazing performance. Priyamani, too, impresses with her expressions and dialogue delivery. Nidhi Subbaiah is lively. Jackie Shroff is the right choice for Charlie's role. Rangayana Raghu's comic track has clicked. Music by V Harikrishna has some excellent catchy tunes to the lyrics of Yograj Bhat, Jayant Kaikini and Chi. Udayashankar".[16] Srikanth Srinivasa from Rediff scored 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Cinematographer Satya Hegde's frames are superb and tight. His camera work sets the tone for the film although he doesn't get much support from the story. But director Suri has not come out of his Jackie fixation. Stay clear of this film if you are not a Puneeth fan!".[17]
Shruti I. L from DNA wrote "Full marks to Imran Sardaria for innovative choreography. Music director Harikrishna also delivers. Kaanadante Mayava-denu... sung by Puneet and Boni agada… are the most entertaining of the lot. Watch Anna Bond if you are a Puneet fan! Period".[18] B S Srivani from Deccan Herald wrote "There’s still a possibility of Appu turning “desi” Bond, like his illustrious father – under Soori’s direction, romancing and fighting across pristine locales of Karnataka. Any takers?".[19]Bangalore Mirror wrote "The saving grace is the music by Harikrishna and lyrics by Bhat and Jayant Kaikini. However, the picturisation does not live up to the expectations. Even the remix of Chi. Udayashankar's classic Kaanadante Maayavadenu loses its innocence, though Puneeth sings it again after 30 years".[20]
The Hindu wrote "Puneet leads the way and Rangayana Raghu and Ninasam Satish are brilliant. Jackie Shroff is a huge letdown and his Kannada is intolerable. As Nidhi Subbaiah's character is as slim as her physique, it is not fair to expect anything from her. Priyamani is good to some extent".[21]The New Indian Express wrote "Soori has managed to balance comedy and love with good screenplay in the first half of ‘Anna Bond’. But, he could not hold the grip in the second half. Director has concentrated more on the technical aspects of the film".[22]
