Rann - Movie Review

Rann
U/A; drama
Dir: Ram Gopal Varma
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag, Paresh Rawal
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What's it about: Ram Gopal Varma and Amitabh Bachchan went on a tirade declaring that Rann would give you a peephole look into the cable-clogged running of a news channel.
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With the filmmaker and his actors visiting news channels and guest editing shows we were excited that Rann might really go Deep Throat on us.



However, this yarn about a media baron (Bachchan) falling into the predictable nexus of his son (Sudeep) and a shady politician (Paresh Rawal) propped up by another rival (Mohnish Behl) to give a long-winded monologue on the importance of being earnest doesn't really garner the expected TRPs.

Among the peripheral characters there's an honest reporter (Riteish) who goes from becoming a pawn to a king as the plot proceeds.u00a0

What's hot: Rann has its moments, though they are few and far between. Bachchan's expressions and his eyes do a better job than the hackneyed lines he is meant to rote. He excels in the scene where his world comes tumbling down after realising his own kin has let him down.
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Despite his holier- than-thou attitude and larger-than-life frame, his vulnerability and sense of loss come alive with his body language. Riteish gives his character the required depth. Even though he might not be the strongest link in the story, there is a certain sincerity in his approach.

Watch him shred Paresh Rawal to bits in the scene where he interrogates rather than interviews the politician for the first time. Rajpal Yadav is par excellence in his role as the sensation-seeking 'sansani' reporter.

What's not: You know it's an RGV film when you see an old matriarch, hear loud drum rolls for a background score, and notice weird camera angles mostly obsessed with closing up on frames.

Sari-clad devoted housewife? Check. Sexy girlfriend? Check. A son who's turned to the dark side? Check. With Rann, RGV does nothing new.

All he does is use his trademark effects to weave a story that's supposed to expose the media's underbelly and startle you with the facts found.

Unfortunately, the method used sinks this boat before it even tries to leave the shore. Bachchan's media baron is so nau00efve and ethically uptight that the love for his family blinds him from realising what's happening behind his back.
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His monologue towards the end makes him look like a Sunday school preacher, rather than someone who's angry, seeking answers and wanting to present the actual truth. Neetu Chandra adds humour to a climax that 'tumbles down' under its own weight.

What to do: Hardly an exposu00e9, or even fodder for healthy debate, Rann relises too hard on gimmicks to try and battle the rating charts.