An actress being relegated to hero’s mere eye-candy is not uncommon in Bollywood even in today’s age. However, in 2014, it’s interesting to see that several significant films like Dedh Ishqiya, Hasee Toh Phasee, Highway, Gulaab Gang and Queen boasted of strong female characters that formed the backbone of the respective film’s plot.
Revolver Rani now gets added to this coveted list. The film was much awaited not only because of the quirky promos and characters but also because it’s a film starring Kangana Ranaut, whose popularity has escalated thanks to the super success of Queen. But alas, Revolver Rani is no Queen. It surely has its moments but the shaky editing and execution is one of its many blemishes.
The story of the movie: Alka Singh (Kangana Ranaut) is a dreaded gangster com politician in a small town in India. Her mentor is her maternal uncle Balli (Piyush Mehra) and her enemy is Udaybhan Singh (Zakir Hussain), candidate from rival party. Problem arises when Alka falls deeply in love with Rohan Mehra (Vir Das), a struggling actor who tries to use Alka for selfish motives. Rohan becomes Alka’s weakness and Udaybhan tries to take the situation’s advantage to defeat Alka.
Revolver Rani has a shaky beginning. The sequence of Udaybhan’s hencemen talking about Alka Singh goes on and on and one feels restless since the Revolver Rani is nowhere to be seen. Thankfully, the opening credits are damn interesting and catch attention. Alka’s entry scene is okay and the bedroom scenes of Alka and Rohan fail to make the desired impact due to the haphazard editing. Alka storming into Udaybhan’s rally should have been a power-packed scene but again, the impact is missing.
The reason why this majorly happens in most parts of the film is because the makers have attempted to be as realistic as possible in their approach. But few scenes defy reality, especially the action scenes. One doesn’t expect to see dozens of goons firing at the protagonist and the latter not getting hit by a single bullet in such a fare. Moreover, one can see reflection of shooting lights in Udaybhan’s sunglasses. These are minor goofs but it does make an impact.
Things begin to look bright 10-15 minutes before the intermission. Post-interval, the film goes on a solid high, in the Agra sequence. It is hilarious, novel, and quirky and is bound to bring the house down! And obviously, it’s the best part of the film! The sequences after this scene also makes for an interesting watch. But again, in the climax, the realism goes out of the window and the developments in the finale somehow don’t manage to pack a punch. However, the film ends on a surprising and rocking note.
As always, Kangana Ranaut is terrific in this author backed role. It is impressive to see how she manages to bring the evil as well as soft side of Alka with ease. It required conviction to pull of the role of Alka Singh and to make audience believe that she’s the one who can scare the hell out of anyone. And Kangana does it so well. Hats off!
Vir Das is a big surprise of the film. He proves very well that he can play a male lead with utmost perfection. The actor is known for his funny side but Revolver Rani allows him to prove that he can do much more than just tickle the audiences’ funny bone. Watch out for him in the Agra sequence…he is superb! Piyush Mishra delivers a terrific performance.
His character gets very significant in the second half and he ensures that he plays it well. Zakir Hussain is top-notch and same goes for the actors who play his henchmen. In fact, all scenes involving the trio are quite interesting. Zeishan Qadri(Pilot) plays a character that’s very similar to his character of Definite in Gangs Of Wasseypur Part II. He deserves much better roles! Nikunj Malik(Zahira) and the actor playing her mother do very well. Others are fine.
Sanjeev Srivastava’s music is very finely incorporated in the film. The title track is exhilarating and worth listening. Kaafi Nahin Chaand (sung by Asha Bhosle) is soulful. Pehle Lohe Ki Chingaari is powerful and Zardozi Lamhe is well used in a funny scene. Action goes over the top in few places. Costumes are quite quirky, especially the undergarments of Kangana.
Dialogues are sharp and even acidic at places. Sai Kabir’s story is brilliant and in a way one-of-its-kind. It needed to be directed well and that’s where Sai, also the first time director, falters. He should have stuck to realism from start to finish and should have ensured the narrative moves smoothly and sans any haphazard cuts. On the positive side, he shines in many scenes, especially in the Agra scene.
Also, the conflict in the second half is deftly executed. If only he had done such a fine job throughout the movie, Revolver Rani would have been a cult classic!
Few good scenes of the film:
1.The sting operation.
2.Rani comes to the rescue in the kidnapping drama.
3.The intermission point.
4.The Agra sequence.
5.Balli confronts Alka in a drunken state.
6.The final scene.
On the whole, Revolver Rani is an entertaining drama but the haphazard editing and direction in few scenes and filmy fight scenes in the otherwise realistic setting takes away the impact. On the positive side, Kangana, Vir and Piyush deliver brilliant performances and a sequence in the second half is quite novel and brings the house down.
Don’t have many expectations and definitely don’t expect a Queen from this one and chances are that one might enjoy the fare!
My rating - 2.5/5!