There are some films that are made to spread awareness or pass a message, while some are made to keep you entertained and make the entire movie viewing experience worth your money (like they say - Paisa vasool). Prabhu Dheva's R... Rajkumarbelongs to the latter, as this 2 hour 18 minute film keeps you hooked on till the last scene with its perfect blend of Pyaar, Emotion, Maar - dhaad, Drama, Naach - Gaana and more. Masala entertainers seldom earn stars from some so - called film reviewers, who try to find logic in everything that they watch. One individual went on to say that this is the worst film of 2013, which means this person clearly enjoyed watching Besharam and Grand Masti. Well, to each his own and every individual has a point of view. But, is it fair to write disgraceful comments and prevent people from judging the film on their own? The answer is - NO. If I am paying for a ticket and it is me who will watch the film, then I have the right to choose what I want to watch. No review, tweet or words of hatred can stop me from liking something. Thankfully, several people agreed to this and that is one reason why R... Rajkumar was liked by the Aam Junta.
They watch what they like, instead of listening to the chappad chappad of critics! Ha.
I opted for a decent single screen to enjoy the film with the masses. They are the ones who buy a ticket with their hard earned money every week and can make or break a film. You have to see the euphoria with your own eyes to believe it. People were whistling, clapping or screaming their lungs out for almost every scene, dialogue and song (Gandi Baat and Saree ke fall sa took the cake, with almost the entire theatre singing the song out loud).
Let's move on to the highs and lows of the film.
Highs (In no particular order)
- Shahid Kapoor's flawless performance! No, I am not saying this because I like and look up to him, but because his hard work is evident in his portrayal of the protagonist, Rajkumar. He has worked a lot on his body language, dialogue delivery and expressions to pass off as the typical rowdy village guy. If you watch his other performances closely, you will notice that Prabhu Dheva has been successful in bringing out this guy's real potential. He made people laugh, cry and whistle every time he came on screen. He has taken everything in the right spirit. I mean, which actor would be comfortable with jokes being cracked on his height time and again. But Kapoor's rowdy act has definitely won people's heart (he has stolen my heart anyway). This is Kapoor's film all the way.
- The choreography of this film is splendid. My favourite has to be Vishnudeva's Gandi Baat and Saree ke fall saa. One look at Kapoor doing some crazy moves and I promise you, your heart will skip a beat and you will rush home to practice those steps. Both Vishnu and Prabhu have made Kapoor dance like a dream. So much, that his stupendous moves will remind you of Govinda from the 90's. The last time I saw an actor make people dance in a theatre was Salman Khan in Dabangg and Kapoor has managed to do that in this film.
- The ensemble cast was perfect. I can't think of anyone replacing Sonu Sood as Bhaiyyuji or Ashish Vidyarthi as Parmar. Sood was good as always and Mukul Dev comes as a surprise package.
- Sonakshi Sinha as the feisty and confident Chanda was great. She has a striking personality and her chemistry with Kapoor was cute.
- Kunal Rawal and Manish Malhotra have designed Rajkumar and Chanda's look with great precision. Love the detailing. Be it Kapoor's Chaiwala inspired Ganjis or those aviators, Rawal has presented Rajkumar as the perfect tough guy.
- Ravi Verma's action deserves a mention. This being Kapoor's first action film, it was a treat to see him bashing up multiple goons at one go. And let me tell you, Kapoor has done all those stunts without a body double.
- Just how good is Pritam Da's music? Both Gandi Baat and Saree ke fall sa has been on people's lips, iPod, mobile phone and boombox since the day they were released. When you watch these songs on screen, trust me, it's a visual treat.
- Some dialogues were just bang on and I could actually see people using some of them while conversing outside the theatre. My favourites - "Silent ho ja, Varna main violent ho jaunga," "Height ka pyaar se kya lena dena. Pyaar ke liye dil chahiye hota hain," and "Main paise ke liye kuch bhi kar sakta hoon, toh soch, main apne pyaar ke liye kya kya kar sakta hoon."
- Brownie points to Shahid Kapoor for his excellent dance moves, stunts and the fantastic face off with Sonu Sood in the climax
Lows (In no particular order)
- Not too fond of the song Kaddu Katega. The film could have done without that song. Those two performers were bad and the choreography didn't make sense.
- I really think Mika's version of Gandi Baat should have been in the film.
- The cinematography was decent in some parts, though the camera got way too shaky during the climax. Those shaky, triple movement camera effects tend to get a little annoying sometimes.
- Ashok Samarth as the corrupt cop was wasted.
Verdict: Even if you watch this film back - to - back in a single day, you won't get bored. So go out there, leave your work stress and other tensions at home and enjoy this movie. Hands down, one of the most entertaining films of 2013. Those who think the other way round or believe that my review was biased or anything - well, let the box office collections speak!
25