Raajneeti

New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) Power equations, strained relations, the murky tactics of politics and bitterly-fought elections ... Prakash Jha claims to offer all these in his much-awaited political thriller "Raajneeti", which releases Friday.
A behind-the-scenes look at politics, scandals and much more, the film stars Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgn, Manoj Bajpai, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Sarah Thompson. Arjun Rampal too plays a pivotal role in the movie.
" 'Raajneeti' is not a dry political drama... At an edited length of about three hours, we want viewers to be glued to the edge of their seats," Jha had told IANS.
"I just want people to get entertained. We want to be awarded and rewarded for this film. I have no intention to teach or preach," he added.
Produced by UTV for around $21 million (Rs.98 crore), the movie is being distributed by Prakash Jha Productions, Walkwater Media and UTV Motion Pictures with over 2,100 prints worldwide.
Shot in Bhopal, "Raajneeti" is the story of a fiercely fought election campaign, where money power and corruption are the accepted norms and where treachery and manipulation are routinely used weapons.
As the personal drama of the conflict-ridden characters in the movie unfolds against the gritty backdrop of politics, love and friendship become baits and relationships get sacrificed at the altar of political alignments.
The darkness that rises from their souls threaten to envelop all that they hold precious. Until eventually, in the crescendo of increasing violence, the line between good and evil blurs, making it impossible to distinguish heroes from villains.
"Raajneeti" is the story of Indian democracy and its ugly underside and looks at politics and beyond.
"Raajneeti has different meanings and that is what has been shown in the film. It is about the political mentality and manipulations. It is about the belief that victory is the only option.no matter at what cost," said Jha. The music of the movie is already a hit, especially the track "Mora piya".
The movie has had its share of controversies too. It was first denied a certificate by the censor board for Katrina's character having a resemblance to Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi.
Jha, however, dismissed the allegation saying that the movie is actually a modern re-telling of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.Some intimate scenes and excessive violence were also removed before the film was given a U/A censor certificate.
"Raajneeti" will also be screened at the upcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards starting June 3 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Being a solo release at the box office this weekend and with the amount of buzz it has generated, this one sure looks like a winner at the ticket windows.
Raajneeti a political epic directed by Prakash Jha explores the dirty, ruthless world of Indian politics. With a huge ensemble star cast comprising of the best talents in the industry, Jha has based this political drama on India's most popular mythology, the Mahabharata.
The story is about Veerendra Pratap Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) and Prithvi Pratap Singh (Arjun Rampal), the heirs of a powerful political party. All hell breaks loose when Prithvi is elected the leader of the party. Revenge is on Veerendra's mind as he joins hand with a small time leader Sooraj (Ajay Devgan) and eventually the two evict Prithvi from the party.
Prithvi's brother Samar (Ranbir Kapoor) who is settled abroad leading a comfortable life, returns to India and unwillingly joins the political mess. They form a new party. The rest of the battle is on the election grounds against Veerendra.
Raajneeti starts off slow and it takes a while before you connect with the film and its characters. But once you do, Rajneeti makes for a compelling watch. And while it suffers from being very predictable, due to the fact that it's been based on the epic characters of Mahabharata, the director keeps you involved with a complex plot and his very effective way of storytelling. Just when you being to connect with the characters and feel their pain, the movie does tend to get a little over-the-top with back to back murders and cheesy masala moments.
The other problem with the movie was its runtime which is around 175 min. However, the intact and dexterous direction wins back your attention and keeps you hooked on to the movie till the end. Background score is top notch and it gives you the real feel of the situation and the genre its dealing with. The cinematography (Sachin Kumar Krishnan) is excellent. The dialogues enhance the impact of the film. Coming to the music, the 'Mora Piya' track is good.
Ranbir Kapoor is the star of Raajneeti without doubt. He sinks completely into the grayish character of Samar and emerges with a fabulous performance. Arjun Rampal known to be wooden with his expressions comes up with a powerful performance. Ajay Devgan is in form but has little to do in the post interval portions. Manoj Bajpai is at his negative best. Katrina Kaif does well in few scenes, very plastic in others. Nana Patekar is effective. Naseeruddin Shah is wasted.
To sum up, Rajneeti has a story to tell unlike last week's release Kites which was all about glitz and glamour. The film is well-directed and has powerful performances. Do watch it.