Raavan
Cast Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ravi Kishen, Priyamani, Vikram, Govinda
Director Mani Ratnam
Rating TBA
It's intriguing to pull out the evil Ravan from the Indian epics to retell his story. And only a film-maker of Mani Ratnam's stature could attempt such a remarkable feat. So when Raavan opened, the expectations were high. Well, Ratnam makes it work, for most parts at least, but his inability to look beyond the glamorous Bachchan brood spoils his art.
Milking the Bachchan couple might've worked in Guru, but that charm fails to elevate Raavan. While Aishwarya manages to engage with her drenched blood-shot gaze, her partner fumbles. His inexperience is infuriating as he is unable to conjure up even one believable emotion.
He growls, makes faces and awkwardly rolls his kohl-lined eyes, unable to evoke any fear. His staccato expressions reek of a Sarkar hangover! It's unforgivable how Ratnam ignored other stalwarts like Manoj Bajpai, Ashutosh Rana, Naseeruddin Shah and Nana Patekar for an incompetent Abhishek. Among the supporting cast, Priyamani gives Surpanakha a fierce edge while Ravi Kishen appears a tad skinny for the chubby glutton Kumbakarnan. Vikram wears a stony face throughout, trailing Beera in cool aviator shades.
It's very disappointing to watch him being pushed to a corner even as the Bachchan pair is glorified. Ratnam's obvious references to the epic, making Govinda monkey around to portray Hanuman, and Dev (Abhishek) prompting Ragini (Aishwarya) to take a polygraph test, is unimaginatively over the top.
While the first half drags on with the Bachchans endlessly glaring at each other, the actual conflict emerges only towards the end. Ratnam further delays the story by padding it with unnecessary songs. He even revisits a page from Roja, where a mushy song rewinds to the past to unite the separated lovers. There's an inane Ravan dance with a glaring hitch in the continuity, where Veera's chappals appear, disappear and reappear miraculously! AR Rahman's music is passable: I wish it remained as the background score.
Veteran cinematographer Santosh Sivan paints Raavan in incredible shades. His imagery is impeccable, making even waterfalls look so desirable! Designer Sabyasachi Mukerjee matches up with the stunning imagery by dressing Aishwarya in earthy tones, but his efforts appear monotonous for the other cast. Renowned actress Shobana takes on the role of a choreographer with aplomb, making Aishwarya enviably charming in classic dance moves.
Despite building a solid base, Raavan/Raavanan disappoints due to Ratnam's inability to end his story convincingly. Sadly it is become his trademark. If you look back at Roja, Dil Se, Bombay, Kannathil Muthamittal and Yuva, you get a sense of how such great films were crippled by a lame ending. And Ratnam repeats the same in Raavan!
In his eagerness to portray an unseen side of Ravan, Ratnam paints all the other characters in shades of black, leaving Ravan one-dimensional and the audience benumbed.
A fiery act
This is the stuff great actors are made of. Give Vikram a character and watch him meticulously flesh it out. From quirky laughs to menacing madness to reluctant romantic expressions, he breathes life into the evil Veera with finesse. In fact, he gives Raavanan an edge over its Hindi counterpart. Where Abhishek falters, Vikram soars. It'd be unfair to even attempt a comparison. He achieves the implausible by playing the good (in Raavan) and the bad (in Raavanan) simultaneously, with distinct variation. Apart from a few glitches in the climax, Raavanan walks away with the applause.
