'Rang De' is out in theatres from today (March 26). In this section, we are going to review the film and tell you what works and what doesn't.
Story
Arjun (Nithin) is perennially unhappy that he is always asked to learn from Anu (Keerthy Suresh), his childhood frenemy who scores spectacularly in exams. On the other hand, Arjun flunks Engineering. When he decides to leave for Dubai to pursue higher studies, Anu, who is slighted by his behaviour, decides to trap him.
What does she do to teach Arjun a lesson? Will the guy ever understand Anu's genuine feelings for him? Answers to these are found in the second half.
Performances
Nithin is balancing serious roles (like in 'Check', the remake of 'Andhadhun' and 'Power Peta') with his kind of light-veined roles these days. In 'Rang De', the actor marshals his comedic skills to a decent effect. Keerthy Suresh, who is not just another female lead, is far from being a prop. Her comic timing works to an extent.
Abhinav Gomatam and Suhaas are seen as the lead man's friends. VK Naresh and Vennela Kishore are good, while Rohini is routine.
Technical aspects
Devi Sri Prasad's 'Nee Kanulu Yepudo' outperforms every other song, including 'Emito Idhi'. PC Sreeram's cinematography is shockingly average. As someone who comes with a brilliant filmography, he was expected to deliver awesome visuals. But they fall flat, thanks also to Avinash Kolla's mediocre production design.
Analysis
Writer-director Venky Atluri makes 'Rang De' a comedy-family entertainer, which is why the standard of hilarity should have been high. What we get is a series of lame jokes that just don't land.
As the trailer of the film showed, the first half is mostly about how Arjun is at the receiving end of being compared to Anu by his father (played by VK Naresh). The scenes get repetitive and the film cries for novelty. Brahmaji, who plays an educational scammer, provides some relief.
Somehow, the film doesn't tap into its potential fully. The interval bang is cliched. Post this, a stunning decision taken by a key character feels unconvincing. Vineeth's character is another cliche.
The film's emotional quotient comes into its own in the last 15 minutes or so. By then, we would have given up on its standard template-driven narration.
The conversations between the lead pair don't give us memorable lines. Some of them sound stale, actually.
Closing Remarks
'Rang De' is far from being a rainbow of lovely colours. It struggles to be a family entertainer while telling the story of a hardly grown-up man and a lovable girl.
