Bollywood Information

Movie: Rang Rasiya
Rating: 4/5 Stars [Four stars]
Star Cast: Randeep Hooda, Nandana Sen, Paresh Rawal, Ashish Vidyarthi, Rajat Kapoor, Sachin Khedekar, Vikram Gokhle, Suhasini Mulay
Director: Ketan Mehta

What’s Good: The vision of the film is definitely not for the myopic. It expects you to widen the parameters of your thought process and transports you into a world linked inextricably with our history and culture.

What’s Bad: The film’s first half is a little slow, and might even drag in places but for most part, even its relatively weaker first half is building towards its heartbreaking, yet beautiful climax.

Loo break: None

Watch or Not ?: Salman Rushdie had once said, Freedom of expression ceases to exist without the freedom to offend. Ketan Mehta doesn’t shirk from taking the pique stand in telling a well blended tale about love, passion, virtue, chastity and the brooding demand to adhere to social norms, bringing into relevance Raja Ravi Varma’s story which is more than a century old. Mehta’s line of thought was simple, while gadgets and technology is progressing, our minds are still not free from the shackles of primitive thinking. Rang Rasiya is more courageous than bold, more sensitive in its narrative than preachy or aggressive and more relevant than any one of his recent films. The canvas and vision of the film is massive and the movie doesn’t step on wrong foot ever, staying brutally honest to what it attempts to say. This is one Ketan’s most effortless, most nuanced and most impactful works and definitely one of recent times’ most powerful and moving films, I had the good fortune of watching.
Based on Desai’s novel on Raja Ravi Varma (Randeep Hooda), the film deals with the court case slapped on the iconic artist for painting nude images of women and giving face to Indian Goddesses. Religious gurus filed him for propagating vulgarity and hurting religious sentiments. The film traces his story through his childhood, his marriage, his muses, his love and inspiration from Sugandha (Nandana Sen) who pushed him to deliver his best work and of course about how the fate of that case changed the face of law’s perception towards art and censorship.

A case whose ruling is relevant even today; despite science taking over, logical and wide thinking hasn’t prevailed clearly. The film is an eye opener for many who think limited and judge art from a moralistic point of view.

Rang Rasiya Full Movie Review Script Analysis: The focus of the film is on a court case that was filed against Raja Ravi Varma for hurting religious sentiments and propagating vulgarity. The film begins with an art exhibition in Mumbai and extremists and fundamentalists looking to vandalize the place but is then traced back to Raja Ravi Varma’s history and childhood in Kerala. The first half of the film is entirely a historical narrative of the course of events how and why they happened. Ravi Varma’s first muse and his relationship with her, seemed exceedingly frivolous and not much time was wasted on explaining how his marriage fell apart.

The momentum of the film gathers when the film embarks on his individual self discovery and his relationship with his prime muse Sugandha. Mesmerized by her beauty, he finds himself being exceedingly drawn towards her physically, emotionally, ‘like an artist to his muse’. There is a very beautiful scene in the film where Raja Ravi Varma refuses to make copies of artifacts and paintings abroad and denies taking a tour of Europe to draw inspiration from there. In him, was a man so deeply rooted in his rich cultural heritage, in his folklore stories that he found gaping the West futile. He begins a journey across India, exploring its picturesque scenic beauty, it’s beautiful stories and finds himself taking a relevant, modern take on it.

The biggest accomplishment of Raja Ravi Varma was his ability to make God available to all. The Hindu Caste Structure is so tightly wrapped in religion that for a good part of centuries, the religion had ostracized its lower castes. Ketan’s story very carefully conveys it and the hard hitting tone is draped in subtlety. The enormity is conveyed in very few words, in few actions. In another scene, where Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings were opened up to the common man in an exhibition, a peasant was seen howling and worshiping Lord Rama, depicted in one of his paintings inspired from the Rmayana. God was kept obsolete from the lower castes, reserved only for the elites and had it not been for Raja Ravi Varma, to democratize a caste ridden, bogged down Hindu Religion would have been impossible.
The final and most important facet of this story is Ravi’s relationship with Sugandha. It’s evidently based out of love but is more of an artist’s obsession with his muse. Ravi’s character has its own selfish tinge to it where he finds his creative inspiration from Sugandha but there is the tingling music of romance between them and their chemistry is beautiful. In what will be called the film’s most controversial scene, the complex relations between the two is unleashed. Ravi caught in a creative limbo, dissatisfied and how his muse brings herself alive to draw him to paint her all over again in an avatar that will bring him to life. It takes a deep knowledge of human understanding and human relationships to bring so many layers in a scene that is easily beyond the purview of those who have a narrow minded thinking.

Rang Rasiya Full Movie Review Star Performances: Randeep Hooda was used in his nascent best. The actor gives his rustic swag a look uncannily different from what we recognize him from. From playing a frivolous flirt in scenes to a heartbroken painter whose muse was socially humiliated because of him, he brings an ethereal quality in his performance delivering undoubtedly his best.

Nandana Sen, whom I had last seen in Autograph, looks radiant in every frame, bringing poignancy to her performance. Vulnerable in love, drawing strength from the same, it’s her heartbreak and breakdown of faith that makes the climax so surreal.

Paresh Rawal as the the scheming Seth was great. Sachin Khedekar was again good in his part. Even the naive, young and equally stellar Ferena Wazair has done a memorable job.

Rang Rasiya Full Movie Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: Rang Rasiya is Ketan Mehta’s victory alone. While all may feel his story, it is he alone who has truly empathized with his fellow filmmakers and artists all over the world, who are still suffering the wrath of fake societal norms. In very few terms, Mehta takes on the system and poses pertinent questions – should the views of all govern the views of an artist and why doesn’t the common man open himself up from fundamentalist thinking; a critical take on religious leaders whose charisma is borne out of unscientific, often regressive thinking. Mehta wastes little energy on what doesn’t fit with the film’s theme, focusing solely on Ravi Varma’s life and all that pertains to him and his battle in revolutionizing the Indian thinking.

The director’s delight in conveying cinema is evident in that one scene where Ravi and his friends witness the screening of ‘L’Arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat‘. The ecstasy in the shot of the moving train is unmissable. Based on a rich tapestry, the film’s valiant approach towards art and how Ravi Varma wins the case is significant and the last scene where a gorgeous nude painting of Raja Ravi Varma is destroyed all speaks volumes about how art in democratic India still doesn’t have the freedom to remain alive and breathe. A complex and diverse country dominated by people who cannot think freely, Ketan’s baseline remains at How free are we!

Rang Rasiya Full Movie Review The Last Word: Smeared in color, vibrancy and sensuality, Rang Rasiya revels in its operatic, dramatic beauty and narrates a liberating tale of love, passion and freedom of vision. Ketan Mehta brings out the best from his actors Randeep and Nandana; especially the latter who unleashes on screen much beyond her sublime beauty, the vulnerability of her character. The inspirational story tells an uninhibited tale of a man who will always remain eternal through his art. I am going with 4 stars.

Rang Rasiya Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>

Movie: Super Nani
Rating: 1/5 Stars [One Star]
Star Cast: Sharman Joshi, Randhir Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Rekha, Shweta Kumar
Director: Indra Kumar
What's Good: The charisma of Rekhaji unfaded that remains till date.

What's Bad: The Ekta Kapoor severe brand of melodrama that preaches sappily pretty farcical moralities that functions on Indian society. Topped with all of it is a lame movie that gets unintentionally comical.

Loo break: Well, it is wrongly comical and extremely boring. Need I say more?

Watch or Not?: Super Nani despite a lot of really funny scenes is a disaster to venture into. A wrong plot from the word go, and a pastiche of Ekta Kapoor's brand of brain-damaging serials, this film is a full blown scène session on moral values. If you manage to save your hearing ability despite the high decibels of screeching females in the film [which will pierce through your ear drums], there is one movie dreadful to bear. It's a kitschy version of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi meets Khoon Bhari Maang. If the noise of it sounds palatable to you, good luck giving it a shot.
Super Nani is the story of Bharti Bhatia who is treated like scum by her family. Degraded on a regular basis, she has a confidence issue as well until her grandson NRI decides to change the scenario for her. A photographer by profession, he sends out her portfolio pictures and soon enough she has a handful of great offers and a handsomely paid job which makes her richer. But that does not change her family's mentality who now envy her. She pulls off stunts large and brings them all closer to her and gets their reverence over the film.

Super Nani Full Movie Review Script Analysis: It’s the story of a disregarded mother who despite Khoon se sichoing her family and paaloing her kids in her womb, is one thankless piece of a doormat for her folks. Being screamed upon by everyone at home, she still sings and prays for their well being. Her life changes when her elder grandson from America who in all the seriousness despite a poking-fun variety of fake accent brings alive in her self respect and dignity that had been long numbed. It’s a classic case of besahaara, abla naari who once out in the modeling world is a hit and up for grabs.

It’s not a novel plot and its television serial preachy approach kills its intention as well. The first half has funny gimmicks, like in one particular scene Munnabhai and Circuit-ish looking men come to Nani’s house for her son Suketu, but ends up getting their wounds bandaged, and their hungry stomach filled with delicious food. There is an Unrequited and unrequired need of trying to put the lady on a pedestal and villainifying all the other characters from the husband to the children.

A heartless CEO for husband, a stock market enthusiast for a son, a shrill aspiring actress for a daughter-in-law and a daughter who wants to marry a divorcee and stay in a live in relationship. The mindset with which the film is presented is so narrow that even an American bred Desi kid, talks of it as if its HIV and blames the West for it. I would call the approach of the film extremely shameful and primitive.

And once Rekha has removed the Halo from above her head, she is a superstar. Advertising deals makes her richer than her husband and her age is no barrier, with luck and looks both siding with her. In the end, she gives her family and the audience a two hour long class on how to respect women. And yet, I am amazed Rekhaji didn’t find this role disrespectful to her sensibility.

Super Nani Full Movie Review Star Performances: Rekhaji was the only respite in the film. Though she over dramatically hams in many parts, her finesse as an actor comes through, as she pulls through this role with utmost sincerity.

Randhir Kapoor too was average in his part bringing to the plate caricaturish acting but well his old charm worked over time.
Sharman Joshi was in my opinion a good actor but how a filmmaker drives his actor is on him. A fake American accent and glycerin filled eyes don’t quite get us emotional rather sparks off uproarious laughter.

Shweta Kumar needs a better make up artist and dance teacher. Her out of place, distinctly pink lipstick and funny dance moves don’t quite make her memorable in a good way. Blame Daddy Kumar, that he gave her a small role not enough to get us to gauge better. But then it might just be intentional.

Rajesh Kumar seemed like he will slip into his Rosesh mode any minute. He too was alright is his very loud part that expects to overdramatize things.

Super Nani Full Movie Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: Indra Kumar and me will probably never get along in terms of films. Either he is offensive or he is preachy but it’s his closed mindset with which he makes films that bothers me. The message might be very progressive in this film and even relevant for many in small town and semi rural India but his moralistic climax and his tone does reflect old school thinking and often in a wrong way. Living in a home full of villains and how Super Nani with her superpowers reigns victorious is a great story at a superficial level but has deep defective meanings and a grave flip side to it.

Kumar also knows his claptraps right. After wasting almost an entire year of my my life listing the advertisements Rekha picks up, he attempts a wicked Amitabh Bachchan cement angle to offer sly laughs. Also, the last part where Bharti dedicates her award to her husband went too far.

Super Nani Full Movie Review The Last Word: Super Nani was a super boring film. An atom out of the goneby years, this film is more of a mockery of the Biwi Ho Toh Aisi variety of plotlines. I laughed my guts put at the sheer display of lameness for most part of the film, and by the time the end credits roll, you will be disoriented enough to make a dash for a med store. Disprin, please someone. I am going with a lenient 1/5 and only for the film’s strong protagonist who pulls off this dismal affair with a lot of grace.

Super Nani Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>