Rangrezz
Direction: Priyadarshan
Actors: Jackky Bhagnani, Pankaj Tripathi, Vijay Verma
Rating: **1/2
Rangrezz is an over-wrought melodrama that has stray moments of power but is ultimately too convoluted to be convincing. Jackky Bhagnani plays Rishi, a lower-middle-class boy from Mumbai who drives to Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh to help a friend unite with his girlfriend. Rishi and his two friends kidnap her (with her consent), marry them in a temple and dispatch them to Goa. Both the girl and boy have powerful parents - one's mother is a politician, the other's father an industrialist - but their henchmen cannot prevent any of this. Clearly, the UP badlands aren't as deadly as they used to be.
Rangrezz is a remake of Tamil film Naadodigal, and the best thing about it is an unexpected twist in the plot. The film also has some heavyweight names attached, including Santosh Sivan (cinematography) and Sabu Cyril (production design), so it has a certain moodiness and polish. But essentially, Rangrezz is designed as a showcase for Jackky. Unlike in his earlier films, Jackky is actually attempting to be a character this time but remains, at best, a lightweight as an actor. I was more interested in Rishi's livewire friend Pakkya, played nicely by Vijay Verma, who always seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Director Priyadarshan attempts to create a gritty ode to friendship, but ends up with a film that isn't bad but doesn't sparkle.
Director Priyadarshan attempts to create a gritty ode to friendship, but ends up with a film that isn't bad but doesn't sparkle.