Rakhta Charitra 2 Review

Ram Gopal Varma deserves credit to make 'Rakht Charitra 2' a definite watch as he ensures that despite a violent theme to this blood curdling saga, there are strong emotions that go with the flow of the narrative. One has spent enough time analysing his 'Aag'. He redeemed himself to a good extent with 'Rann', showed his worth all over again with 'Rakht Charitra' and has now totally bounced back with full fervour with 'Rakht Charitra 2'. It is indeed high time that one looks at this being a new chapter in his film making innings as he promises far more in the second decade of the millennium.

It is the stylish manner in which a quick 30 minutes edit of Part 1 is narrated at the beginning of Part 2 which sets the stage right there for the drama to proceed. For the uninitiated who may have not seen Part 1, this 30 minutes edit acts as a quick groundwork to bring them up to speed. On the other hand for those who did check out the film a few weeks back, this edit is a recap to make one even more excited about what would follow next.

Excited one is indeed when Suriya makes his entry into the proceedings at this moment. Bomb blasting Vivek's convoy, he looks at the scene of crime helplessly as his target ends up remaining alive. The opening credits start rolling and you know that the focus would be on revenge between two super-strong characters this time around.

Suriya, instead of being hot blooded and getting into a killing spree, instead takes a calculative approach and schemes quietly, hence leading to a tense build up. His option of keeping his acts on hold before things settle down in his favour, his surrender, his interaction with prison mates, his entire back story (detailing convincingly the reason behind his vengeful acts) and an ultimate act of revenge - all of this pretty much makes audience go along with his character, hence making 'Rakht Charitra 2' a human drama which is not just about killings, chopping away of limbs and glorified violence.

Suriya leaves a terrific impression in his first ever Hindi outing. Flawless in his act and displaying a varied range of emotions, Suriya gets it bang on. It isn't as if the focus is entirely on Suriya this time around. Yes, the story is from his point if view but Vivek has no lesser importance (though a lesser screen time for sure). His character too is multi layered, something that the actor powerfully depicts, hence proving once again that he is one of the best in business when entrusted with dramatic outings.

The film wouldn't have been for what it is if not for some background score by Dharam-Sandeep which is abound with chants, hence resulting in a high octane drama that grips you from beginning till the end. Also, the camerawork is innovative (as is the hallmark of Ramu's cinema). Suriya's entry, the entire eight minute long court sequence (entirely shot in slow motion and turning out to be one of the most thrilling sequences of 2010), a couple of scenes where camera moves in a circular motion and then the confrontation scene between Suriya and Vivek inside the prison - the team deserves brownie points for making 'Rakht Charitra 2' a gripping affair.

Suriya and Vivek - It is this face-off, which has its presence more mentally, consciously and sub-consciously rather than physically, which forms the core of 'Rakht Charitra 2'. A gritty dramatic fare which, unlike 'Rakht Charitra 1', is more about the sense of revenge looming large rather than killing-a-minute violence that prevailed there, 'Rakht Charitra 2' is an even better watch that doesn't allow one to blink an eyelid.

Go watch it if you in mood of watching a revenge-filled tale coming alive on screen.

Rating: ****