Guns and Poses
Film: Revolver Rani
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Vir Das, Piyush Mishra
Directed by: Sai Kabir
Duration: 2 hrs 5 mins
Rating: * *
Kangana Ranaut was the toast of the town with her
extraordinary performance in Queen, so much so, that many people might turn up
to watch Revolver Rani purely because of the Queen effect. They will be in for
a surprise (not necessarily a pleasant one) to see the actress portray a
completely contrasting role in this film.
The bone of contention would be the characterization; the
Rani from Delhi was so believable the same cannot be said about this lady who
could join the Expendables because she shoots to kill. Set in Chambal, Alka (Ranuat) plays the tough
woman with a past that is best left behind. Her uncle (Piyush Mishra) lends her
a hand to become the leader. Vir Das plays her toyboy who aims to make it to
Bollywood but then there are many other usual suspects like corrupt politicians
and cops who are on the wrong side of the law.
There are a few nice bits like the shootout and the excited
newsreader episode which allows you to indulge in a few laughs. But towards the
end it all gets a bit too high handed and the plot is lost.
The heroine’s character is interesting, I don’t think
there are many dacoits who aspire to wear clothes from Paris and want to go to
Italy as well.
On the acting front, while Piyush Mishra is in his element
as usual, Vir Das is a let-down.
Kangana Ranaut strides into her role with confidence and
conviction. The same alas cannot be said of Revolver Rani as a film.
Published in The Navhind Times on 27th Apr 2014
My thoughts on Revolver Rani...
ReplyDeleteRevolver Rani is essentially a satire on the power hungry politicians, treading through the dark alleys of power in the Chambal Valley, who have little regard for anything save their own ambitions. Revolver Rani comes across as an experimental film and as with all experiments the probability of failure is much higher than the probability of success. Not everyone has the appetite for nonsensical, over-the-top violence which Revolver Rani offers in abundance. A rather overt swashbuckling style of cinema à la Sergio Leone is something the Hindi film audiences are usually not very comfortable with. And that’s precisely where Revolver Rani suffers. Hindi cinema is still in the need of its very own Quentin Tarantino who can help the audiences expand their cinematic horizons. But, until the audiences grow more receptive, films like Revolver Rani would continue to be treated as mere exercises in style.
The best way to approach Revolver Rani is an indigenous tongue-in-cheek Western featuring a rugged cowgirl as oppose to a cowboy. Yes, Alka Singh can best be described as the female equivalent of a desi cowboy straight out of some Western pulp novel. The movie’s graphic novel feel only accentuates it further. Besides, the film is rife with symbolism and allegories. The thinking viewer will certainly be able to savor what’s at his/her disposal. The director Sai Kabir, a self-confessed fan of Johnnie To and Robert Rodriguez, paints a lurid canvass, oozing with an abundance of grotesqueries, adorned by shifty, larger-than-life characters caught in existential traps—all this facilitates the orchestration of rather palatable mise-en-scène.
Revolver Rani presents experimental filmmaking at its very best but typically with little commercial relevance, especially in the context of the Indian market. Kangana Ranaut shines in her portrayal of a politically powerful female goon. There’s no denying that Kangana Ranaut performs Alka Singh to a tee. Barring a few anachronisms, everything right from her non-glamorous look to her native accent to her aggression in bed makes Kangana look convincing as Alka Singh—a caricature that strongly harks back to Uma Thurman’s character “The Bride” in Kill Bill movies. Kangana’s tour de force performance is well complimented by the rest of the cast. And the unconventional music adds to the overall mood of the film. There is certainly more to the film than meets the eye. As a socio-political satire, its relevance cannot be overlooked. The undercurrent of dark humour only adds to movie's overall appeal.
My full review can be read here:
http://www.apotpourriofvestiges.com/2015/06/revolver-rani-2014-sai-kabirs-political.html