Rajneeti - a review

After reviewing a lot of reviews about 'Rajneeti', most of which rated it quite highly, barring the few that delighted in going against the flow, just to be different, I decided that the movie warranted a look at. However, my experience with movies that I have patronised within the first week of the release has not been the greatest. Sample this, 'Chandni Chowk to China', 'Lahore' and other movies that were so bad, that even mentioning them here, seems like a real waste. What was worse, was that most of these movies had been rated highly. Suffice to say, the experience had made me wary of investing too much on movies, that I am watching based solely on television and newspaper reviews. Sunday, therefore saw me at one of the movie theatres on MG road, clutching a ticket that hadn`t burnt too deep a hole in my pocket, silently praying that this should be one of the better movies that I would watch.

Half an hour into the movie and I was hooked, eagerly awaiting the next twist in a movie that boasts of a power-packed star cast, where each member seems to have been made for the role. Naseeruddin Shah, has a miniscule role in the movie, in which he still manages to dazzle as the firebrand politician, Bhaskar Sanyal. The movie is about a political dynasty, and the games and countergames that politicians play in order to be at the helm of the political affairs. The fact that they share the same bloodline seems not to matter, as in the quest for the limelight, elaborate conspiracies are hatched to upstage the opponent. Prakash Jha, has drawn on elements of the Mahabharata, in the making of this movie, and it is evident in not just the plot, but also the names of the characters. You have Nana Patekar, playing Brij Gopal, the uncle of the younger members of the Pratap clan, Prithvi(Arjun Rampal), Samar(Ranbir Kapoor) and Veerendra(Manoj Bajpai), whose character reminds you of Krishna. More such instances unfold themselves as the movie progresses, and it is to the credit of the filmmaker that he has managed to incorporate these elements in a modern political setting, without it seeming anachronistic.

The movie, which dazzles in the first half with its brilliance, slackens off somewhat in the second, with a few melodramatic moments and a really out-of-place item song thrown in, which could have been avoided. Then again, the reason all the flaws are evident in the first place, is because the movie sets such high standards, that you expect nothing less than excellence from it. As far as performances go, Manoj Bajpai, walks away with the honours. Inspite of essaying a negative character, your heart goes out to him, as he thirsts for the recognition that is denied to him, in preference to his cousins. The need for attention, makes him nominate a Dalit youth, Suraj(Ajay Devgan), for the party seat, which once again draws a parallel with a certain incident in the Mahabharata. Ajay Devgan, gives one of those under-stated performances, that we have come to expect from him; his body language speaking volumes to compensate for the lack of words. Arjun Rampal, playing the scion to the Pratap clan, is a revelation. He plays a tough talking politician, who allows emotions to get the better of him, which leads to his downfall on most occasions. Ranbir, deserves accolades for successfully relinquishing his chocolate-boy image, and coming of age in this movie, as Samar, the suave, shrewd strategist who works in the background to allow his elder brother Prithvi, to reap rich dividends. Katrina too, acquits herself favourably, giving a performance that should stand her in good stead, when it comes to getting roles that demand much more than dancing around trees.

This one therefore, is a refreshing change from all those movies that demand a complete lack of common sense,and which indulge in over-the-top histrionics to elicit a response from the audience, which isn`t exactly forthcoming. What we have here is a hard-hitting movie, that makes you think, and ensures that the characters stay with you long after you have walked out of the theatre.