By: Amit R Agarwal
Rann is engaging
The most inconsistent director of Indian cinema – Ram Gopal Varma is back with his latest film Rann – in consistent because for each Rangeela, Satya, Company, Sarkar; Ramu has also directed Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag, Mast and other imminently forgettable flicks.
The good news is that Rann falls in the former category.
Did I say news – then I said it right because Ramu’s latest film is about news – to use the term in a broader perspective media – electronic media.
The statistics reveal that there are 577 news channels right now beaming across India – are they really showing the truth?
What are the chances that the media isn’t conniving with a corrupt politician to serve their nefariously mean purposes.
Rann tells the story of an idealistic journalist Vijay Harshvardhan Malik (Amitabh Bachchan); he is the owner of a channel News 24/7. While he is the journalist with his morals intact, his son Jai (Sudeep) thinks of news as a business proposition, more so because an ex-employee Amrish (Mohnish Behl) has started his own channel Headlines 24, now the top channel.
Jai’s desire for making News 24/7 a profitable business venture is fanned by his brother-in-law Navin (Rajat Kapoor). He connives with a wily politician Pandey (Paresh Rawal) to ouster the idealistic PM Hooda (KK Raina).
Will the desire for megabucks influence Vijay enough to forego his idealism?
Thus forms the conflict; in which Vijay is supported by an equally idealistic young journalist Purab (Riteish Deshmukh).
The film exposes the news so-often broadcast on electronic media across the world in the garb of ‘news’. Is it really ‘news’? Or do the channels create ‘news’?
Ramu is in top form here; except for a stray non-cohesive writing, the film’s narrative is gripping.
The use of cinematic tools in Rann might not be as strong as Company, Sarkar or Nishabd – but the film is cast in the right mould.
What rocks the movie:
Performances, be it Amitabh Bachchan, Sudeep, Mohnish Behl, Paresh Rawal, Riteish Deshmukh or Suchitra Krishnamoorthy; everyone is first rate – even the henchman of Pande – Ikhlaaq Khan – just with his gestures makes his presence felt.
Amitabh Bachchan’s climax monologue is a lesson in acting subtle yet evoking strong emotions.
What chucks the movie:
Music (the songs sound screechy)
Writing could have been better (at stray points the narrative resembles Sarkar)
Rajpal Yadav’s tomfoolery is totally out of place
Verdict:
Rann is a film that ought to be watched by each and every media-person. The power of media or press; should be used judiciously. Rann is your weekend ticket over Ishqiyaan.