Film: 'Kalaakar'; Director: Harish Raj; Cast: Harish Raj, Radhika Gandhi, Suman Ranganath, Avinash, Dwarakish and Sudha Narasimha Raju; Music: Giridhar Diwan; Rating: **1/2.

Young actor Harish Raj, who has made a name with good performances in many teleserials and films like 'Dweepa' and 'Thaayi Saheba' directed by Girish Kasaravalli, turns hero and director with 'Kalaakar'.

For a first time director, the film is a neat presentation coupled with good technical values. Despite a couple of mistakes here and there and a weak first half, Harish Raj has managed well in his debut effort.

The main drawback of 'Kalaakar' is its slow-paced first half. The second half is better with many twists, leading to an interesting narration. The entry of Dwarakish's character certainly adds pep to the film's proceedings.

'Kalaakar' is the story of the struggles undertaken by an aspiring artist in the film world to realise his ambition of becoming a successful actor. Harish Raj has written the story and screenplay of this film, which tries to authentically portray the ecstacy and frustrations seen in the film industry.

Yes, you can see shades of Ram Gopal Varma's 'Rangeela' in the film, but that should not devalue the contribution of Harish Raj, who has shown his brilliance in acting department.

But as a director he is definitely a learner. The last twist in the film is a weak point as in reality it dilutes the impact of the whole story.

Harish Raj's commitment to the film can be seen by the way he has selected his technical team. He has the support of award-winning cinematographer H.M. Ramachandra, who has done an excellent job behind the camera, and music director Giridhar Diwan, who has composed wonderful songs like 'Aaya Aaya' and 'Bang Bang Bangalore'.

And his trust in artists like Suman Ranganath, Dwarakish and Avinash has paid off - all of them add to the quality quotient of the film.

The movie is about Harish, whose ambition to become an actor is resisted by his father. In his bid to become an actor, he is chated by a fraudulent film director, who demands Rs.1.5 million from him.

Harish secures a loan from a money lender, but is unable to pay the loan. Then to ward off pressure from the money lender, he steals the documents from his house. Thrown out of the house, a desperate Harish joins the film industry as a clap board assistant.

A film journalist, meanwhile, falls in love with him. After working with an established director, Harish gets a chance to become a hero in films as his director and film's leading star develop serious differences. Harish is also helped by the film's heroine Suman.

Harish Raj shines as an actor in the film. Of the two heroines, Suman Ranganath has done a good job. Radhika Gandhi can hone her talent more to prove her mettle.

Dwarakish does a good job in his small but significant role. Avinash scores in the role of Harish's father.

'Kalaakar' is a clean film, which authentically portrays the journey of an aspiring actor. It would have been a thoroughly enjoyable fare if the first half was a little more interesting.