Review: RGV’s ‘Rakht Charitra’ is dark and menacing cinema

Let me make it very clear at the outset that Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Rakht Charitra’ is not for the faint-hearted. A dark and realistic film based on the true story of Paritala Ravi, Vivek Oberoi, Shatrughan Sinha, Surya and Abhimanyu Singh starrer ‘Rakht Charitra’ can rightly be said as Hindi cinema’s most violent film. ‘Rakht Charitra’ seethes with anger, violence and bloodshed.

Spicezee Bureau

Let me make it very clear at the outset that Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Rakht Charitra’ is not for the faint-hearted. A dark and realistic film based on the true story of Paritala Ravi, Vivek Oberoi, Shatrughan Sinha, Surya and Abhimanyu Singh starrer ‘Rakht Charitra’ can rightly be said as Hindi cinema’s most violent film. ‘Rakht Charitra’ is set in the backdrop rural India which grapples with lawlessness and goonda raj. A world which constantly lives in terror and anarchy, abduction; killing and rape are the order of the day, where law enforcement bodies are mere puppets in the hands of crime lords. Apparently, ‘Rakht Charitra’ is devoid of any cinematic finery – there is neither any light-hearted banter nor any elaborate song and dance sequence. The film is bereft of any romance and comedy. Yet, ‘Rakht Charitra’ has a fascinating story and gripping action sequences that keep you enthralled till the very end. A revenge drama, ‘Rakht Charitra’ is the story of an emotional yet volatile Paritala Ravi (Vivek Oberoi) who transforms from a soft-spoken rural boy into ruthless killing machine to avenge the cold blooded murder of his beloved father (Rajendra Gupta) and lovable brother (Sushant Singh). The film traces the life and times of Paritala Ravi, his rise to power as a minister and his mission to end lawlessness and anarchy in the state. Undoubtedly, ‘Rakht Charita’ is a power-packed film with a gripping storyline and equally dynamic performances from its entire star-cast. Much like ‘Satya’ and ‘Company’, ‘Rakht Charita’ brilliantly portrays the crime world and lucidly fleshes out the inner and outer conflict of its main protagonist. It seems RGV has once again reclaimed his Midas touch as he extracts powerful performances from Vivek Oberoi, who literally breathes fire into the character of Paritala. He is confident, controlled and in sync with his on-screen avatar. Apart from Vivek, another actor who stands tall in ‘Rakht Charitra’ is Shatrughan Sinha. The vintage actor will mesmerise you with his towering personality and powerful baritone. Abhimanyu Singh is outstanding as the opponent. Radhika Apte, Zarina Wahab and Ashwini Kalsekar are exceptional and so does Rajendra Gupta, Ashish Vidyarthi, Anupam Shyam, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Sushmita Mukherjee and Kota Srinivasa Rao. In totality, ‘Rakht Charitra’ is dark and violent. Instead of entertaining you, it leaves you shell-shocked. ‘Rakht Charitra’ seethes with anger, violence and bloodshed. Ratings: Three cheers for this one!