Rann

Film: Rann
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Sudeep, Paresh Rawal
Genre: Drama
Direction: Ram Gopal Varma
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Story: Vijay Harshvardhan Malik heads a television news channel that swears by its ethical code of relaying news and only news. Naturally it begins to lose the TRP race to its rival channel that excels in sensationalism. The media baron's ambitious son tries to win the TRP war by stooping to an all new low, ethics be damned.

Movie Review: It's gritty. It's grey. And it's greatly topical too. Ram Gopal Varma returns to his let's-dissect-the-real-world brand of cinema with the racy-pacy Rann that might run on predictable lines, nevertheless it makes for a gripping viewing with its behind-the-scenes dekko on the Breaking News, any which way, syndrome that seems to have overtaken certain sections of the media. And, like Satya, Company and Sarkar, which re-visited India's mighty 'n murky underworld through the lens of edgy semi-realism, Rann too rips off the mask of honest reportage from the TRP-obsessed television media that has fallen prey to presenting anything -- mythology, folklore, fantasy and even falsehood -- as news.

Of course, at the onset, we'd like to forewarn you: don't go looking for some great revelation; for something new. Rann is a film that simply reiterates something you always knew. That, news is not always credible. That, the fine line between hard news and frothy entertainment is fast blurring. That, news is not brought to you by news hounds alone. There is a politician-businessman-news baron nexus at work that reduces the actual news reporter to a puppet on a chain. Not always, only sometimes. And `sensationalism' isn't only the new buzzword in the business of news; it's fast becoming a synonym for it. Yes, you knew all that. And Rann doesn't really want to tell a different story.

Where it does score is the way it tells the story: thriller-like, taut and testy. More importantly, it's the performances that pump life and blood into the characters you recognise, lock, stock and barrel. The towering Vijay Harshvardan who heads the good channel is an icon and beacon of credibility in the cesspool of newsrooms that have fallen prey to unethical wheeling-dealing. He wants to stick by the truth alone, despite the falling viewer interest which seems to be gearing towards the rival channel run by Mohnish Behl who believes news is anything that sells. Honest big daddy's biz mantras aren't too popular with his kith and kin too. Specially with his son, Jai (Sudeep) and son-in-law, Ashwin (Rajat Kapoor). Unable to handle the competition, the duo gang up with the rival politician (Paresh Rawal), a wannabe PM, cook up some news, use scrupulous dad to telecast it on his channel, lending it an air of credibility. Bingo! They not only win the channel war but also end up bringing down an honest government. Of course, this apart, they grab a few 1000 crores from the corrupt politico as service fee. Anyone bothered about ethics here? Yes, the I-want-to-change-the-world cub reporter (Riteish Deshmukh) who still has stars in his eyes and morals in his blood.

Ram Gopal Varma not only manages to grab eyeballs from the beginning to the end with his taut narration, he orchestrates a veritable treat when it comes to performances from his ensemble cast. Leading the pack is Amitabh Bachchan, lending gravitas with his restrained portrayal as the media chief, making him almost noble and kingly. Watch out for his climactic speech. Can't help but clap, can we? Veteran Paresh Rawal also revels in creating the picture of pure evil as the wily politician. But it is smaller players who walk away with your applause: Sudeep with his intensity, Rajat Kapoor with his snaky charm, Riteish Deshmukh with his bearded, clean-cut restraint, Mohnish Behl with his naked me-no-scruples mantra and Neetu Chandra in an itsy-bitsy, yet read-my-eyes role. Yes, Rann's a riveting experience.

A word about

Performances: It's essentially an ensemble cast, where everyone puts up an impressive performance. Amitabh Bachchan's honest TV media baron act is uplifting. Mohnish Behl's unscrupulous media baron act is chilling. Riteish successfully tries a make-over as a serious journalist who believes the mike is mightier than the sword. Paresh Rawal is wily and fits the image of a corrupt politician. But it is Sudeep who grabs your attention with his shades of grey. Great act!.

Story: Rohit Banawlikar lifts the story straight from the here and now. Yes, topicality is there, yet the twists and turns are quite foregone. Nevertheless, the script holds because it is narrated well.

Dialogue: Amitabh Bachchan's speech in the climax about clean journalism is the cherry on the cake.

Music: Seven music directors are credited to the Rann audio track, yet, not one song's a winner. Doesn't matter, because song and dance are unnecessary in this gritty drama.

Cinematography: Amit Roy uses his camera stylishly to create an impressive canvas that simmers and is permanently on the boil.

Styling: Straight out the newsroom and upper crust out of it!