RANN
A Film on Politics, Power and the Media Where RGV Ne Jyada Kuch Nahin Kiya
by Vishal Verma

A Vistaar Religare Film Fund presentation along with Vistaar of a Cinergy Production.

Producers: Sheetal Vinod Talwar and Madhu Mantena
Writer: Rohit Banawlikar
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Genre: Drama – Social
Target Audience: General

Starring

Amitabh Bachchan...... Vijay Harshvardhan Malik
Sudeep...... Jay Malik
Ritesh Deshmukh...... Purab Shastri
Paresh Rawal...... Mohan Pandey
Mohnish Behl...... Amrish Kakkar
Suchitra Krishnamurthy...... Nalini Kashyap
Rajat Kapoor...... Naveen Shankalya
Gul Panag...... Nandita Sharma
Neetu Chandra...... Yasmin
Rajpal Yadav...... Anand Prakash Trivedi
Neena Kulkarni...... Lata Malik
Simone Singh...... Priya MalikShankalya
Iklaq Khan...... Pandey's Man
K.K. Raina……. Digvijay Hooda

Technical Analysis

To speak the truth without fear or favour……….. Wondering what’s this?, It’s the principal of journalism. Many of us know that many from today’s media don,t know and sadly, even RGV is not fully aware. New Delhi Times, Surkhiya, Page 3, even SRK’s ‘ Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani’ have tried to show us the insight of media some dared to bring the truth somewhat while others didn't.

When RGV decided to throw some light on the fourth estate then we waited with extra curiosity cause the critic com (read community) has been his favourites especially when he makes something ‘Agyaat ‘. ‘Afsoos’ RGV’s ‘Rann’ story comes with lack of evidences and sources and appears like those loud shows we see on our idiot boxes.

‘Rann’ is like listening to the just an average debater in middle school presenting a term paper called "Politics, Power and the Media.", this dumping down on the insights which we need to know and ‘covering’ it with a routine bollywood drama of politicia and the media of course with traces of his trademark here and there, fails to compensate for the stellar performance by the iconic Big B – the 5 minutes speech during the end moments of the film clearly showed the aghast, pain and sadness of the man who believes in honesty thwarting and refusing all the demands of survival techniques used and required to be running in the race of the media. The movie should have ended on that inspiring thinking note but the call for the push and pull of commercial and sensible cinema makes RGV to end on a melodramatic and filmy note making Sudeep (brilliant) who plays Big B’s son commit suicide and a new entrant Purab Shastri excellently played by Ritesh Deshmukh acquiring the top position of the channel cause he was the man behind the expose and mind you, channel walas will agree that the entrant was immensely lucky to be a part of the channel’s board meeting where TRP’s and other important decision are being taken, he even voices his opinion and goes for exclusive interviews….!!. Where and when do we see the pathos of crusading reporters who selflessly put their principles above all?, at least in the film it could have been shown.   

Even the investigation by Ritesh comes without any struggle. Many might debate and say to watch it as a bollywod product and don,t go for details but it becomes hard considering it to be coming form the prolific RGV who has given us ‘Satya’ which said nothing but the truth and continued that in ‘Sarkar’ to a lot of extant.

The movies intriguing moments apart from Big B’s speech are given by Rajpal Yadav who is repetitive but still entertaining. However, the movie doesn,t go far enough with the ideas to make you feel like you’re watching a truly provocative drama rather than one that’s just sporadically provocative and quite contrived.
The exaggeration is unbelievable for example

A channel forces a PM to resign on criminal charges, which never gets investigated. A channel can make an opposition leader the next P.M. The oath taking ceremony of India’s PM at a venue of his choice and not Rashtrapati Bhavan can be halted cause one respected honest journalist is making some exposure in his studio.

On the plus side

Technical aspects are strong; the movie is well shot by Amit Roy where Nipun Gupta’s scissor work makes it look sharp and the background score by Debasish Mishra tries to make our mood. Performances are topnotch where Big B rules and Ritesh spunk’s a surprise by enacting a serious role breaking his mould from those mindless clowny acts. Sudeep is fantastic and spontaneous. Paresh Rawal does the villainy with sincerity. Rajat Kapoor is earnest. Mohnish Bhel once again proves. The ladies didn,t have much to do but still Suchitra Krishnamurthy gets more scope and shines.

‘Rann’ scores 2 out of 5   

One for the performance

One for the technicalities and the idea

The movie losses on not focusing on the insights required for such flicks and detailing plus it lacks entertainment values.

 

The Story

Vijay Harshvardhan Malik (Amitabh Bachchan) is the founder of a private news channel, India 24/7. A hardcore upholder of journalistic ethics, his channel is battling for survival. Jay (Sudeep), his son, looks at his father's news channel purely as a business enterprise that must make profits to justify its existence. He hates that his competition (Mohnish Bahl) is doing better than him.

The story takes a turn when a corrupt politician, Mohan Pandey (Paresh Rawal), decides to use the channel to his advantage by using Vijay's son-in-law Navin (Rajat Kapoor). Pandey aspires to be the Prime Minister and indulges in a vicious campaign against his political opponent.

Navin is the most insecure man on earth and won't rest till he becomes the number one industrialist in the country. He, in turn, involves his brother-in-law Jay in Pandey's game plan.

Promotion

The script controversy has helped the promoters who had promoted the movie as it should have been done and ‘honestly’ the indoor outdoor publicity along with the tours and media campaign by Imagesmiths will attract some legs to the theatres.

Business Analysis
‘Rann’ is a social drama based on media but honestly it ignores important aspects in details required for such films. ‘Rann’ ends up as an average bollywood fair which will at the most will be remembered for its performances especially Big B otherwise its run at the B.O. is hardly to make or brake any news.

 

Other Credits

Executive Producer: Gautam Vaze. Cassettes and CD's on Junglee Music. Lyricist: Vayu, Sarim Momin, Sandip Singh and Prashant Pandey. Music Director: Dharmaraj Bhatt, Sandeep Patil, Jayesh Gandhi, Bapi, Tutul, Sanjeev Kohli. Cinematography: Amit Roy.
Art: Aparna Sud. Editor: Nipun Gupta. Sound: Debasish Mishra. Costume: Subarna Rai Chaudhuri. Media Consultant: Imagesniths. Reviewed at Fun Republic, Andheri, Mumbai on 27 January 29, 2010.

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