Bhairathi Ranagal movie review: Shivarajkumar-led Mufti prequel is like very flat soda
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Bhairathi Ranagal movie story: After serving 21 years in jail, a time he used wisely to earn a law degree, Bhairathi Ranagal (Shivarajkumar), returns to Ronapura, with the intention of using his new skill to fight for the rights of his people. All goes well until Ranagal decides to help the workers of a steel plant form a union and, hopefully, get the management to give them better working conditions. But that’s not to be, and when the system that Ranagal put his faith in fails to aid his people, he realizes that an eye for an eye is the only way forward.
Bhairathi Ranagal movie review: Director Narthan had his task cut out when he set out to give an established and popular gangster character a backstory. Mufti’s Bhairathi Ranagal, with his trademark black shirt and greyish-black panche – a criminal in the eyes of the law, but a saviour for the people of Ronapura. What was Ranagal like before he came under the police’s radar?
When you have an actor like Shivarajkumar in the role, there’s no way that you can write him as an all-out monster; there’s got to be a good heart at play. And yet, as an adolescent he is described as someone who had enough simmering rage in him to blow up a bunch of government officials. In fact, the gravity of the crime was enough to warrant a heavy-handed sentence.
But hey, jail is where you turn your life around, even if that is going to be short-lived. It doesn’t take long for Ranagal to ditch his Mr Goody Two Shoes avatar and unleash a blood bath to embrace that side of him. It’s got me wondering – has Narthan’s prequel done more harm than good for the character. If the Ranagal of Mufti resorted to violence only very briefly, what with his henchmen doing all the dirty work for him - mainly in keeping him safe - here he is like John Wick with a machete, chopping off hands and heads, with gay abandon, to set up his fiefdom. That Ranagal is apparently doing all of this purely for the good of his people, with no other motive, is why all his crimes can be swept under the carpet - that's the underlying message.
By the interval, Ranagal the crime boss is established, which begets the question - what next? You play to the gallery and give audiences what they apparently want to see... Ranagal in all his glory. Herein, lies the problem, watching Bhairathi Ranagal emerge from a car or helicopter was all the rage in Mufti 7 years ago. How does one expect the same level of excitement, if not more, seeing it all over again? Did Narthan really think that repeated shots of Ranagal exiting a helicopter or walking in slow-motion in that outfit would elicit a positive response yet again?
But the problem with the film is not just that – Ranagal needed a formidable opponent. Rahul Bose’s Parande was not that. He glowers a lot, but doesn’t come across as a powerful antagonist. Shabeer Kallarakkal as Parande’s muscle Gatta was far more impactful in his limited role. Even with a bunch of characters, the film offers nothing really to cheer about. For what it’s worth, the narrative is straight-forward, there’s no comedy track whatsoever and even Rukmini Vasanth’s miniscule role is given more dignity than Shanvi Srivastava was accorded in Mufti. That’s a silver lining.
Overall, though, Bhairathi Ranagal leaves one feeling underwhelmed. Did we really need this prequel?
Bhairathi Ranagal movie verdict: Director Narthan's prequel is strictly for those who loved Mufti's Bhairathi Ranagal and want more of that. It's not a compelling watch!
PS: A pet peeve I had while watching Bhairathi Ranagal was why arms that are chopped just under the shoulder, fly around as hands cut a little above the wrist. What’s with the missing elbows, Narthan?
