Rann - Movie Review

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Sudeep, Paresh Rawal, Mohnish Behl, Rajat Kapoor, Suchitra Krishnamoorthy, Neetu Chandra, Gul Panag

Director: Ram Gopal Varma

Rating: ***1/2

There is a line in ‘Rann’ when Amitabh Bachchan who plays Vijay Harshvardhan Malik says, “There are no free lunches”. That statement somehow upholds all the capitalist ideals. And yet, towards the end, Ram Gopal Varma tries weaving too idealistic an environment as Malik admits to his faux pas and questions media ethics. At some level if such liberal environment exists, the image of the journalist that has over the years changed from the ‘kurta’ clad, sling bag carrying person into a stylish professional would take no time to change back to what it was. But then films are allowed poetic justice and also being liberal to some degrees. In reality there is no denying that news channels too are a business and journalists very much need those Diwali bonuses like a worker in any other corporate.
 
Having said that Ram Gopal Varma needs to be credited for the fact that ‘Rann’, which was supposed to be aiming at some media-bashing, is not a statement on the media! It’s rather a commentary on the capitalist ideals that have now started dictating how we look at news. The introductory five minutes of the film show how the TV media has today, on strength of videos, become such an important part of our lives. And while Ramu shows that media is an extremely powerful industry which makes a mark in the way people think, he also shows that all those shows need money to broadcast and when there is no money, there would be no news at all. The vicious circle!
 
‘Rann’ looks at this phenomenon from one channel’s point of view. The central character of the film is in fact the channel rather than the people. India 24X7 is a news channel which was started by Vijay Harshvardhan Malik and is being run by him on his own principles. However, the principles don’t always translate into TRPs. And Malik’s protégé Amrit Kakkar (Monish Behl) walks ahead in this race with his own channel, Headlines 24X7. Even though Malik is persistent that people value objective reportage, his son Jai (Sudeep) is not convinced and is desperate to change the fate of his business and take it back to the top ranks. He does it but on the way hangs all the principles that his father was known for. And as the fate of his channel changes, so does the fate of the country’s political system. The journey comes full circle, with a few casualties, as an honest reporter, Purab Shastri (Ritesh), brings all truth to the eyes of Malik as well as the public.
 
That’s what makes ‘Rann’ so interesting. It does not make a villain out of the media. More than that, it is in fact an exposé on how political ambitions could take people for a ride. But then, I have to admit, not many from the TV media would clap at scenes which show them sensationalising news - one scene even showing how sound bytes are misplaced and represented wrongly.
 
As a screenplay, ‘Rann’ gets slow in the first half. But that is allowed as the whole stage is set by then. The second half explodes with a couple of very strong scenes. There are some liberties taken though in the way news is presented by Malik. TV news never sees the anchor getting emotional or giving an editorial speech.
 
Ramu’s efforts at making a good film are equally supported by overall good work from his team – cast and crew. The cinematography deserves special mention. It almost feels like Ramu’s direction was simple – no conventional shots. RGV continues with his penchant of looking at things from his own special angle. The background music is slightly loud but the lyrics work.
 
Amitabh Bachchan delivers as he always does and so does Paresh Rawal. But it is Sudeep who leaves you impressed. Monish Behl also gets a great role after years and he packs a punch in whatever he gets. Rajat Kapoor and Ritesh Deshmukh are good in roles which are quite different from what they usually play. Neetu Chandra and Gul Panag don’t have much to do.
 
Overall, ‘Rann’ is quite an inspirational fare. It might just teach you to own up and admit that you were wrong at points – even if you are not from the media! Watch ‘Rann’ to know how money works. But don’t watch it for entertainment value; you will have other options for that. This one is genuinely more than a film.