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Movie review: Rann
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February 8, 2010
By Taran Adarsh
RANN
DIRECTOR: Ram Gopal Varma
CAST: Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Paresh Rawal, Mohnish Behl, Suchitra Krishnamurthy, Gul Panag, Rajat Kapoor
CLASSIFICATION: PG
RUNNING TIME: 130 minutes
RATING: ***
If Rann proves anything, it's that Ram Gopal Varma is aching to tell this story. Film-goers may praise him for his effort or choose not to do so, but one has to give him his kudos for telling a story that goes against the grain.
This time around, the maverick filmmaker exposes the relationship between politicians, industrialists and the media.
Set against the backdrop of a popular TV news channel, he also expands on the sensationalising of stories to boost ratings.
Rann not only scratches the surface, it opens a can of worms as it uncovers how news is created by those with vested interest.
As is the case in every profession, there are people who are good and bad at what they do. Rann highlights the pitfalls of succumbing to corruption in ones quest to climb the ladder.
A serious film, Rann mirrors the grittiness and influence of RGV's Sarkar franchise. It is powerful and appeals to the intellectual who has cringingly sat through frivolous run-of-the-mill entertainers.
At the heart of the story is Vijay Harshvardhan Malik (Bachchan), the founder of the private news channel India 24/7.
A hardcore upholder of journalistic ethics, his channel is struggling to survive. His son Jay (Sudeep), however, looks at the channel as nothing but a business enterprise. He hates that his competition, Amrish Kakkar (Behl), is doing better than him.
The twist arrives when corrupt politician Mohan Pandey (Rawal) uses the channel to fight his battles by manipulating Vijay's son-in-law, Navin (Kapoor).
Mohan aspires to be the country's new prime minister and initiates a vicious campaign against his rival.
An insecure Navin won't rest till he becomes the number one industrialist in the country and he, in turn, involves Jay in Mohan's game plan.
Rann would have bombed if the writing wasn't razor-sharp and the actors were incompetent. With that taken care of, RGV's simplistic approach to what is undoubtedly an intricate story, leaves one completely absorbed.
Bachchan is spectacular yet again, especially in the climax. His speech and delivery is remarkable. Sudeep is terrific. To stand up to veterans like Bachchan and Rawal is no mean achievement. Deshmukh keeps getting better with every film. In fact, he is becoming quite the surprise package.
Behl got the role of a lifetime and he sinks his teeth into it, while Panag is easy on the eye.
On the whole, Rann is a well-made film and is highly recommended for those with an appetite for poignant cinema. - BollywoodHungama.com
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