Rajneeti

When I watched Mrityudand on our old VCR while I was a kid, may be I didnt understand it at all and must have watched it just because of Madhuri there. But whenever I watch it again on SET MAX (where it is shown every week as blockbuster movie) I started liking it a bit, but still could not watch it completely ever. Never realised that the man behind the movie was actually just in the making.

Then with my adolescence, came Gangajal and hey, Prakash Jha had finally arrived with a bang. He gave Indian cinema, a complete new direction. Established Ajay Devgan into a new arena and made people crave for more. And then came Apaharan. Another absolute brilliance! I remember how we struggled to get a ticket at the last minute with one of my hostel friends and yes, it was complete worth of taking the pain.

It was a long time that nothing came out of his dexterous hands and then came the heavily loaded Promos of Rajneeti. With news like Katrina playing pseudo Sonia Gandhi, Ranbir, the foreign studying son aloof from the politics does wonders while taking revenges and all other stuff created an impressive the gravity for the movie and I am sure the halls were overbooked even before it was released.

But again and again, after I promise to stop expecting from anyone in life, I don’t know why I enter the theatre with the same anticipation. That’s what happened again for Rajneeti. You know that you love Prakash Jha;s movies. There is sure Ajay Devgan in the meal, with tadka of Manoj Bajpai and Sir Nana Patekar, with freshness of Ranbir Kapoor and masala of Katrina Kaif (and ya, a ‘model turned actor’ Arjun Rampal is also there !) the movie has to be great.

The anticipation does not remain for long time though. Nana sir is there from first scene itself (and there was Sir Naseeruddin Shah also for a brief period of time) but once the story comes to present times (after hinting you within 10 min that as the copyright over Mahabharata lies with no one, one is free to take ‘inspiration’ from it and so did the director here) you are made to see Arjun Rampal playing quite a leading and important role. I wonder was that a still camera used which could not detect his facial e-motions or was it a normal motion camera and his normal still face. The only time I liked him was in ‘Rock On’ where he could do his natural acting and yet make sure he was not out of place. (Just like Kangana Ranaut, who does natural acting always.. u know it… of the drug addict girl !!)

Ajay Devgan has always been marvelous at serious roles (I hope he read this and stops experimenting with comedy.) So was he here. Playing the role of Kabbadi Champion turned Dalit Leader (that too in just a matter of probably two days) which later is revealed as the Jyestha Bhrata (Karna from Mahabharat) of Rampal and Ranbir (thanks to the reviews you read before hitting the theatre, it was obvious now) but somewhere he was not put to use properly. On a later analysis, it would seem that it was the only role that he could fit in the movie, but using him in more proper way could have done more wonders for the film.

Ranbir was truly a surprise pack. Again he tried not to copy his Kapoor ancestors (he did this successfully in Wake Up Sid! Also) and that would for me, be the main reason that he really stole the show. He looked good doing this serious, tough kind of role for the first time and truly proves that he can pull off a movie alone without just doing the usual comedy.

Kudos to Sir Nana Patekar for holding the movie together and for me, he was the real ‘hero’ of the movie. But at the same time, the energy he carried with him, may it be Apaharan or even Taxi no. 9211, was missing here. Not his fault, but the script writers can also not be blamed. There was so much to be shown in those 3 hours. So much of twists and turns, drama, assassinations and highly potent people (read Naseeruddin, Ranbir, Rampal) - a “single” sex with whom, makes the women (read Nikhila Trikha, Sarah Thompson and Katrina respectively) pregnant without fail. The plot may allow you to ponder as to which is the positive character, arguments being present for both the sides but the director has tried to make sure that atleast one is a villain for the usual hindi movie audience.

In conclusion, the movie is just fine. Has more than required things happening in the matter of time of campaigning of a single election. Prakash Jha deserves the applaud for atleast making a decent movie on the political front (sorry, I have not watch ‘Rann’ yet). But nothing more than that.

The HAPs: Ranbir does exceptionally great. Good that it does not have any songs at all. Keeps you on toes all the time but that’s because so many things happen in such a short time.

The SADs
: I don’t think in real politics a withdrawal of support from the government is announced over a party or that a funeral for a young leader is visited by more than 10,000 people (ofcourse all clad in Pure White Kurta-Pajama) or that the Chief Minister candidate is either a young MLA (read son of ex CM) or even a widow who has not even fought a single Municipal Election. Never heard before if old party workers weep as they have just been orphaned because a ‘young’ CM candidate (read nephew of ex MLA and the rival CM candidate) dies. Nor does anyone keeps the cloth or the necklace found on a baby at banks of Banaras (which is now their son!) outside the home so that when someone locks them from outside, they have easy access to it.
In short, go to the theatre with minimal level of expectations, be ready to compare the scenes with Mahabharata (and in case you have seen the Godfathers, than according to my co-movie-watcher, to that also).

My Taare: 3/5 (well its Prakash Jha and if the movie would have been even slightly better and realistic, could have earned a lot more ;)