Cast – Kangana Ranaut, Saif Ali Khan, Shahid Kapoor
Director – Vishal Bhardwaj
Writers- Vishal Bhardwaj, Mathhew Robbins, Sabrina Dhawan
Welcome to the world of Vishal Bhardwaj!
Let me put in a disclaimer that this review is by a die-hard fan of his cinema.
Rangoon is a love story with a backdrop of pre independence India and its turbulent times.
He creates an intoxicating concoction with well etched out characters, brooding frames, melancholic feel and his mesmerising music. He almost creates a different world in his two and a half hours creation.
The tumultuous time when sections of Indian society were confused and bickering over loyalties to Britishers, INA and Gandhians, trying to find their soul and right path has been beautifully interwoven with a love triangle plot .
The fact that the lead cast have done full justice to their characters is an icing on the cake.
Saif is his second best after Omkara’s Langda Tyagi. He plays the rich elitist Parsi and an alpha male with a dominating and chauvinist touch. To play someone with hard hearted streak and in love at the same time is no easy task. You can’t seem to decide whether to like him or hate him. Such is the beauty of shades to his character. But Saif carries it off very well.
Shahid is at his restrained best. With less dialogues and no histrionics like Haider and Udta Punjab, he gives a very subtle and mature performance.
And Kangana is her usual best. This woman always manages to wow. She plays a character who is immature, innocent and feisty the same time. She’s in love, and lonely & sad, and when needed to be ,extremely strong and brave. In fact I could see shades of Rani in Julia. She could make you love her and laugh with her and feel for her.
The cinematography is good as in all his movies. After all his frames are his trademark. They are beautiful and bright at times (not as dark as in Haider and Saat Khoon Maaf )
The music is great. Some of the slow numbers are par excellence. Wonder, how he creates such soulful haunting melodies and what a perfect combination it sets with Rekha Bhardwaj’s voice. Some peppy numbers like Bloody Hell are very foot tapping. Gulzar’s lyrics are always at their best when he works with Vishal. One particular number makes us smile and reminisce all the cute songs he’s written for the animation series of 80s era.
Overall , I found the movie great. Ample reasons to go for it. Watch it if you love Vishal Bhardwaj cinema, his music, and for some fine performances and Kangana, if that’s reason enough for some of you .
Score 8 on 10.