Kannada famous person Sudeep had mentioned that his newest film Vikrant Rona had the potential to develop into a franchise. However, what he didn’t say is that Vikrant Rona was the extension of a cinematic universe that director Anup Bhandari began constructing about seven years in the past. Anup’s first movie Rangitaranga made a splash in Karnataka as everybody embraced the director’s thriller thriller set in opposition to the visually wealthy background of coastal Karnataka.
The supply of Rangitaranga’s thriller stemmed from the tradition of the world. It appeared novel on the time as mainstream movies had probably not explored the area by way of the approach to life, social and cultural beliefs as this movie did. The bhootha tradition, the spirit worship, was the beating coronary heart of the film. Within the movie, Anup had designed the drama in a means that the narration gave a duality to ‘bhootha.’ The ‘bhootha’ within the movie was each the saviour and tormentor. Individuals who worshipped the ‘bhootha’ additionally feared it. The colorful face portray and the eye-catching regal costumes of those that carried out ‘bhootha aradhana’ gave the movie a fantastic visible background and added to the entire expertise of studying a few wealthy, and various tradition.
Rangitaranga was set in opposition to the backdrop of a fictional village referred to as Kamarottu. And it adopted the serial killings of pregnant ladies within the village. And naturally, by the tip of the film, the thriller will get resolved, good individuals dwell and unhealthy individuals die. And that’s that or at the least that’s what we thought.
Anup gave hardly any clues about Vikrant Rona’s reference to Rangitaranga. Even the trailer didn’t assist the viewers to make the connection, apart from verses, ‘Gara Gara Gara Gara Pir Nalkuri Netthara’, mouthed by Sudeep’s character. And these verses have been a part of the refrain of ‘Dennana Dennana’ from RangiTaranga.
The connection between Rangitaranga and Vikrant Rona could not have hit the viewers till they watched the film, and discovered that this movie was additionally set in Kamarottu. And the occasions in Vikrant Rona occur a few years earlier than the occasions of Rangitaranga.
Vikrant Rona is a interval piece, a key driver character within the film complains about ditching the automobile as gas costs have skyrocketed to Rs 6 per litre. And it’s intelligent of Anup to increase his first film, which was a success with the lots, right into a small cinematic universe. However, the film would have benefited from strong writing that was as immersive because the 3D format.
Logically, there are a number of loopholes within the film however none are as obtrusive as those in regards to the movie’s themes. Kamarottu is shaken by a collection of kid murders. Within the very opening moments of the film, we see the physique of a younger baby hanging from a tree. It’s unsettling and makes us instantly care concerning the different younger baby, who’s alive and lively, in the identical scene. And Anup efficiently takes maintain of our consideration solely to regularly lose us with a collection of half-baked purple herrings, which undercuts the curiosity in drama. As we anxiously anticipate the killer to strike once more, and hope that Vikrant Rona will shield the youngsters, we’re taken down the rabbit gap of a homicide investigation.
Vikrant Rona arrives in Kamarottu as a substitute for a useless cop or that’s what Anup desires us to consider for his huge closing reveal. However, to make sure an engrossing climax, Anup performs quick and unfastened with the themes, conflicts, feelings and the characters that he introduces to us firstly of the story.
A nonetheless image from Vikrant Rona.
For instance, Vikrant Rona comes throughout as a daredevil cop, who has no pores and skin within the sport. We expect he involves Kamarottu to unravel the thriller, finish the reign of unhealthy guys, carry out an impersonal act of vengeance, convey peace to the village and experience off into the sundown. A legendary hero, similar to he’s offered within the opening moments of the film. However, later we discover out it’s not the case. Vikrant Rona’s presence in Kamarottu is as private because it comes.
The ultimate meltdown of Vikrant Rona additionally makes us tough to consider on condition that this character had us shopping for into his devil-may-care angle. And Anup can’t get away by saying that was a part of constructing as much as the large reveal. Why? It’s as a result of we couldn’t really feel the ache of Vikrant Rona when he got here nose to nose together with his trauma. Bear in mind the opening scene of Apocalypse Now, when a operating fan transports Benjamin Willard to the battlefields of Vietnam? The fan reminds him of choppers sweeping throughout the jungles of Vietnam and wreaking havoc. Or take the instance of Saket Ram from Hey Ram, he loses his thoughts listening to his spouse scream after recognizing a lizard behind the closed doorways a WC. As a result of his thoughts triggers the reminiscence of a traumatic incident that occurred to him behind closed doorways in Bengal. As soon as the trauma units in, it’s arduous to change off.
And Anup doesn’t point out the trauma that Vikrant Rona is struggling, so the large reveal earlier than the opposite huge reveal makes it arduous for us to attach. The emotional punch shouldn’t be as devastating because it was speculated to be.
The mainstay of Vikrant Rona is its manufacturing design and the filmmakers have finished a swell job amping up the visible expertise with the 3D factor. The 3D format provides extra depth to the visible fashion of the film and retains us invested when the narration doesn’t. And the climax struggle is essentially the most memorable sequence of the film, which helps us to return residence with a way of satisfaction.
The filmmakers have finished a superb job of composing the ultimate battle by making it as tough and painful as potential for Vikrant Rona. Each punch, each tumble down the roof, and each stab hits residence. The visceral expertise of that scene is immersive. We solely want that the filmmakers had prolonged the identical power all through the narration.