Revolver Rani Doesn’t Fire[/b]
In the life of a Bollywood leading lady, a month can be a long time. In Queen, Kangana Ranaut’s Rani was a West Delhi ingenue plunged into a quest to find herself.
In Revolver Rani, does a 360 degree in terms of look: she is a rebel, wearing outlandish Turkish pants and jackets and dark glasses and a dark tan. She is also a woman, and she is also, in her own twisted way, in search of herself. But the difference between the two films is crucial: the Rani in Queen won our hearts because she was believable every inch of the way. This Rani, who hefts revolvers and shoots to kill, is neither wholly a cartoon figure, nor completely credible. This confusion makes us stop suspending disbelief, and Revolver Rani becomes a tiresome Bollywoodesque trudge through the Chambal, and its men and one woman posturing with guns, and the standard corrupt netas and complicit cops.
Alka Singh (Kangana Ranaut) is a hard-headed, flint-eyed woman with a dark past. With the help of her beloved mama Balli (Piyush Mishra), she is being positioned to become the leader of the Bhind-Morena-Gwalior area in Madhya Pradesh. Her rival Udaybhan Tomar (Zakir Hussain) has only one aim: to find a weak spot in her arsenal, which appears in the shape of her toyboy (Vir Das), whose only desire is to make it big in Bollywood. But the high farcical tone that this film should have been made in keeps dipping. And that’s because the heroine who is meant to be the hero (nice subversive trick, pity it doesn’t work) wants to become earnest. It is clear that Kangana Ranaut is trying hard for the sur, but this is not her territory: she gets to that well-judged manic edge only a couple of times, and then slides back. Ultimately, Kangana Ranaut flinging herself over a jeep, grimacing and firing up a storm becomes as much of a stretch as the one who switches to clutching a soft furry toy, and becoming starry-eyed about marriage and baby.
This Chambal ki Rani is not for Kangana Ranaut. Rajouri wins hands down.
In the life of a Bollywood leading lady, a month can be a long time. In Queen, Kangana Ranaut’s Rani was a West Delhi ingenue plunged into a quest to find herself.
In Revolver Rani, does a 360 degree in terms of look: she is a rebel, wearing outlandish Turkish pants and jackets and dark glasses and a dark tan. She is also a woman, and she is also, in her own twisted way, in search of herself. But the difference between the two films is crucial: the Rani in Queen won our hearts because she was believable every inch of the way. This Rani, who hefts revolvers and shoots to kill, is neither wholly a cartoon figure, nor completely credible. This confusion makes us stop suspending disbelief, and Revolver Rani becomes a tiresome Bollywoodesque trudge through the Chambal, and its men and one woman posturing with guns, and the standard corrupt netas and complicit cops.
Alka Singh (Kangana Ranaut) is a hard-headed, flint-eyed woman with a dark past. With the help of her beloved mama Balli (Piyush Mishra), she is being positioned to become the leader of the Bhind-Morena-Gwalior area in Madhya Pradesh. Her rival Udaybhan Tomar (Zakir Hussain) has only one aim: to find a weak spot in her arsenal, which appears in the shape of her toyboy (Vir Das), whose only desire is to make it big in Bollywood. But the high farcical tone that this film should have been made in keeps dipping. And that’s because the heroine who is meant to be the hero (nice subversive trick, pity it doesn’t work) wants to become earnest. It is clear that Kangana Ranaut is trying hard for the sur, but this is not her territory: she gets to that well-judged manic edge only a couple of times, and then slides back. Ultimately, Kangana Ranaut flinging herself over a jeep, grimacing and firing up a storm becomes as much of a stretch as the one who switches to clutching a soft furry toy, and becoming starry-eyed about marriage and baby.
This Chambal ki Rani is not for Kangana Ranaut. Rajouri wins hands down.