With 'Rann' Ram Gopal Verma proves he's finally back on track. Unfortunately, his reputation thanks to his previous dozen of abysmal film may be the reason why 'Rann' received so little recognition. Telling the story of the corrupt Indian media, the film is insightful and poignant as it shows how the ratings system (TRP) works in India and displays the influence of media on the common population. It feels like a Madhur Bhandarkar film but with better writing and execution. The tension builds subtly and the director maintains it right until the end.
The execution is solid with razor sharp editing, a terrific score and fine cinematography (for the most parts). The only thing I disliked about the cinematography is that sometimes the hand-held shaky camera movement was a little overdone. Most of the songs are thankfully set in the background but the satirical lyrics are hilarious and contribute to the scenes. The writing is mostly good but the sequence where Purab is lures Jay as Khanna feels a little awkward. The final monologue delivered by Amitabh Bachchan is a little too long and reaches the point of becoming preachy and spoonfeeding the viewer.
Verma has assembled a great cast. Riteish Deshmukh has done a competent job. Amitabh Bachchan is adequate. He has played similar roles before but does a good job nonetheless. He doesn't dominate the film as he leaves enough space for his fellow cast members to perform. Gul Panag and Neetu Chandra's roles may not be much of a challenge but they hold their own with strong screen presence. Rajat Kapoor is commendable. Paresh Rawal plays the clichéd corrupt politician as a caricature. Mohnish Behl makes quite a comeback with an understated performance. Suchitra Krishnamurty is impressive.
One can only hope Ram Gopal Verma keeps up with making films of this quality instead of turning back to the likes of his previous crap again. With 'Rann' he is definitely heading the right direction and this already gives us hope that the once great filmmaker may have come back.
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