Welcome
to
the
law
of
the
jungle.
Where
there're
no
rules.
Where
the
life
of
a
human
being
is
not
worth
a
penny.
Where
goonda
raj
reins
supreme.
Where
men
are
butchered
and
women
abducted
and
raped.
Where
the
police
obey
the
orders
of
the
goons.
Where
guns,
swords,
bombs,
knives
and
sharp
weapons
are
a
man's
best
friends.
Welcome
to
Rakta
Charitra,
based
on
the
true
story
of
Paritala
Ravi.
Ramgopal
Varma
is
known
for
dark
and
gritty
cinema
and
Rakta
Charitra
is
not
just
the
film-maker's,
but
also
Hindi
cinema's
most
violent
film
so
far.
Be
forewarned,
Rakta
Charitra
is
not
for
the
lily-livered.
Nor
is
it
for
those
who
love
to
visit
cineplexes
with
their
families,
weekend
after
weekend,
to
watch
that
perfect
family
film.
This
one
has
just
one
song
(not
needed,
actually),
no
romance,
no
comedy/humour,
no
phoren
locations,
no
good
looking
faces,
no
family
gatherings
and
no
striking
sets
that
are
mandatory
for
escapist
cinema.
RGV
is
a
rebel,
he
likes
to
make
movies
he
believes
in
and
Rakta
Charitra
proves
it
yet
again.
Let
me
add,
Rakta
Charitra
is
not
one
of
RGV's
most
accomplished
works.
Perhaps,
one
of
the
reasons
could
be
because
he's
now
churning
out
gangster
and
crime-based
films
with
amazing
regularity
and
obviously,
there's
not
much
he
can
explore
due
to
the
limitations
of
this
genre.
But,
yes,
Rakta
Charitra
has
a
fascinating
story
to
tell
and
even
if
you
aren't
acquainted
with
Paritala
Ravi,
you
might
identify
with
Rakta
Charitra
because
the
essence
of
the
film
is
revenge.
Final
word?
With
a
title
like
Rakta
Charitra
and
all
the
blood
and
gore
in
the
film,
it's
certain
that
the
film
holds
appeal
for
those
who
like
to
watch
brutality
in
cinema,
which,
in
turn,
cuts
off
a
sizeable
section
of
the
audience
(ladies
and
kids).
However,
from
the
content
point
of
view,
I'd
say
that
Rakta
Charitra
is
the
best
bet
of
this
week.
Rakta
Charitra
deals
with
emotionally
volatile
people
and
is
set
in
a
rural
environment.
It
tells
the
story
of
Paritala
Ravi
(Vivek
Oberoi),
a
soft-spoken
person,
who
took
law
in
his
hands
to
avenge
the
murders
of
his
father
(Rajendra
Gupta)
and
brother
(Sushant
Singh).
Paritala
Ravi's
name
sent
shivers
up
the
spines
of
not
only
his
rivals,
but
even
the
law
enforcement
agencies.
He
rose
to
become
a
minister
eventually.
The
first
part
ends
with
his
undertaking
a
mission
to
end
goonda
raj
in
the
state.
By
now
we've
come
to
expect
zany
camera
angles,
tight
close
ups,
a
raging
background
score,
power-packed
performances
and
abstract
stories
from
RGV's
films
and
Rakta
Charitra
is
no
different.
Expect
all
this
and
more
[read
bloodshed]
in
Rakta
Charitra.
Since
Rakta
Charitra
is
based
on
a
true
story,
there's
not
much
one
can
comment
on
it,
but
the
manner
in
which
the
incidents
unfold
keep
you
hooked.
Of
course,
it's
a
vendetta
fare,
yet
one
is
keen
to
fathom
what
essentially
provoked
a
soft-spoken
individual
to
transform
into
a
killing
machine.
Barring
the
incidents
in
the
initial
reels,
there's
not
much
movement
in
the
story
in
the
first
hour.
In
fact,
there
are
killings
and
more
killings.
But
the
story
gathers
momentum
when
an
iconic
actor
turned
politician
enters
the
scene
and
takes
Paritala
Ravi
under
his
wings.
The
sequences
between
Shatrughan
Sinha
and
Vivek
are,
frankly,
the
preeminent
and
most
excellent
parts
of
the
enterprise.
The
post-interval
is
different
because
the
killings
reduce
and
Paritala
now
fights
his
opponent
from
the
corridors
of
power.
Rakta
Charitra
gets
lengthy
in
its
second
half
and
one
genuinely
feels
that
RGV
should've
curtailed
the
length
of
the
film
by
a
few
minutes,
although
the
introduction
of
Suriya's
character
at
the
end
only
raises
the
curiosity
for
the
second
installment.
RGV
has
handled
a
number
of
sequences
brilliantly,
but
the
film
leaves
you
with
a
sense
of
deja
vu
off
and
on.
Glimpses
of
films
like
Sarkar
and
Sarkar
Raj,
besides
Satya
and
Company,
though
not
remotely
similar
to
Rakta
Charitra,
flash
across
your
mind.
It's
a
little
intricate
to
encompass
all
incidents
in
the
screenplay,
but
writer
Prashant
Pandey
makes
a
sincere
effort.
Cinematography
(Amol
Rathod)
catches
your
eye.
Action
scenes
are
true
to
life.
Background
score
compliments
the
mood
of
the
film.
All
RGV
films
are
embellished
with
powerful
performances
and
Rakta
Charitra
is
no
exception.
Vivek
Oberoi
breathes
fire
and
venom
and
comes
across
as
the
most
appropriate
actor
to
infuse
life
into
the
character
he
portrays.
He's
super
efficient
and
his
act
in
Company
and
Shootout
At
Lokhandwala
pale
in
comparison.
Shatrughan
Sinha
is
remarkable.
A
powerful
personality
could've
only
been
portrayed
by
a
powerful
actor
and
the
veteran
enacts
it
with
amazing
ease.
Abhimanyu
Singh
is
superb
as
the
opponent.
You
hate
him
for
being
so
evil
and
that
only
goes
to
prove
how
effective
he
is.
Radhika
Apte
is
good.
Zarina
Wahab
is
first-rate.
Ashwini
Kalsekar
is
excellent.
Ashish
Vidyarthi,
Rajendra
Gupta,
Anupam
Shyam,
Sushmita
Mukherjee,
Vishwajeet
Pradhan
and
Kota
Srinivasa
Rao
shine
in
their
respective
parts.
Sudeep
and
Darshan
Jariwala
get
no
scope.
On
the
whole,
Rakta
Charitra
is
not
for
the
faint-hearted
or
the
lily-livered.
The
violence,
the
blood
and
gore
depicted
in
the
film
will
shock
and
disconcert
you,
which
only
goes
to
establish
as
to
how
proficiently
the
subject
material
has
been
treated.
The
film
is
targeted
mainly
at
those
who
love
to
watch
aggression,
violence,
bloodshed,
brutality
and
massacre
on
the
silver
screen,
but
a
chunk
of
the
movie-going
audience
(ladies
and
kids)
will
choose
to
stay
away
from
this
scene
of
carnage.
The
business
in
Telugu
and
Tamil
versions
is
expected
to
be
excellent,
due
to
the
strong
identification
with
the
subject
material.
Director:
Ram
Gopal
Varma
Cast:
Vivek
Oberoi,
Shatrughan
Sinha,
Abhimanyu
Shekhar
Singh,
Sushant
Singh,
Zarina
Wahab,
Aashish
Vidyarthi,
Suriya