Review: Raajneeti

Raajneeti (Dir.: Prakash Jha; Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Nana Patekar, Arjun Rampal, Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Bajpayee et al.)

Prakash Jha?s reputation of making films against a socio-political backdrop grows with Raajneeti. But here, his canvas is bigger as he seeks to combine the Indian political scenario with The Godfather whilst peppering the plot with elements drawn from the Indian epic Mahabharata. If this sounds like a formula for utter confusion, it is to Prakash Jha?s credit that he manages to tie all ends by the time this saga ends.

The direction is brilliant and is supported tremendously by competent cinematography which is at its best in portraying the outdoor sequences of political rallies in quintessentially rural Indian settings, where the fate of many an Indian political aspirant is made.

Raajneeti is an entertaining political drama with powerful performances which manages to keep one interested till the end

The casting is done with great care. Manoj Bajpayee might have essayed any role in this film in a convincing manner, so it is no surprise that he plays his part to perfection. Ranbir Kapoor is a rising star in the Indian cinema landscape and Raajneeti is another meaty addition to his enviable CV. As for Nana Patekar, it does not remain to be said how much this man can convey through his facial expressions. His character seems to have been moulded out of one very strong character each from the Indian political history and the Mahabharata and it required Nana?s calibre to lend weight to this pivotal character in this film. Arjun Rampal is effective too in his short role. Finally, mention has to be made of Katrina Kaif for her commendable act. Her speech scene will certainly be remembered as one of the most memorable moments from the film. With Raajneeti, Katrina proves that she is capable of taking on a wider variety of roles that she has for in her Bollywood stint thus far.

To summarize, Raajneeti is an entertaining political drama with powerful performances which manages to keep one interested till the end.