Rajakili Movie Review: An aggressively melodramatic attempt at a film that never takes off
Rajakili Movie Review: Critics Rating: 1.5 stars, click to give your rating/review,Rajakili is a lost cause right from the beginning, and, sadly, there is hardly anything vindicable a
Critic's Rating: 1.5/5
Rajakili Movie Synopsis: Murugappa, who was once a rich business tycoon, loses everything he has due to a few missteps along the way. What led to his downfall, and will he be able to reclaim his old self?
Rajakili Movie Review: In contrast to the usual film template of a protagonist reaching great heights after facing innumerable struggles, Umapathy Ramaiah’s debut directorial follows a man’s downfall from those heights. When we first see the film's main character, Murugappa (Thambi Ramaiah), he is homeless and roaming around the street in hunger. That's when Anandhan (Samuthirakani) finds and takes him to Annai Madi Home.
Anandhan goes through Murugappa’s diary, and this is when we get to the latter’s old life as a rich businessman. One of the most evident issues with Rajakili is that we never care about the protagonist. At the beginning of the film itself, we know that something terrible has happened to this man. But, even with multiple characters time and again stating how terrible what happened to Murugappa is, it never reaches a state where you feel sorry for this man. There are many reasons for the same, including the over-the-top tone in which the film is set. The film's music, lyrics, acting, and staging proceed with an aggressively melodramatic tone.
Another reason for the disconnect might be the makers’ decision to go for a non-linear narrative. Several revelations are made throughout the movie for shock value, with the same scenes being played out in different ways again and again. Each time around, the makers let us know that the protagonist is a victim in the larger proceedings and that there is more to the story. But, rather than feeling a sense of shock or surprise, these revelations leave you more and more disengaged from the proceedings.
Not to forget, the film has a bunch of women in key roles, but, among them, there is not a single redeemable character. From an IAS officer to Murugappa’s first wife Deivana (Deepa Shankar), every female character in the film is badly written. At the very end, a voiceover states that the film is a tribute to all women who dedicate their lives to their husbands. This voiceover is one more reason to dispute the questionable ideology that the film propagate.
Rajakili is a lost cause right from the beginning, and, sadly, there is hardly anything vindicable about the film.
Rajakili Movie Review: In contrast to the usual film template of a protagonist reaching great heights after facing innumerable struggles, Umapathy Ramaiah’s debut directorial follows a man’s downfall from those heights. When we first see the film's main character, Murugappa (Thambi Ramaiah), he is homeless and roaming around the street in hunger. That's when Anandhan (Samuthirakani) finds and takes him to Annai Madi Home.
Anandhan goes through Murugappa’s diary, and this is when we get to the latter’s old life as a rich businessman. One of the most evident issues with Rajakili is that we never care about the protagonist. At the beginning of the film itself, we know that something terrible has happened to this man. But, even with multiple characters time and again stating how terrible what happened to Murugappa is, it never reaches a state where you feel sorry for this man. There are many reasons for the same, including the over-the-top tone in which the film is set. The film's music, lyrics, acting, and staging proceed with an aggressively melodramatic tone.
Another reason for the disconnect might be the makers’ decision to go for a non-linear narrative. Several revelations are made throughout the movie for shock value, with the same scenes being played out in different ways again and again. Each time around, the makers let us know that the protagonist is a victim in the larger proceedings and that there is more to the story. But, rather than feeling a sense of shock or surprise, these revelations leave you more and more disengaged from the proceedings.
Not to forget, the film has a bunch of women in key roles, but, among them, there is not a single redeemable character. From an IAS officer to Murugappa’s first wife Deivana (Deepa Shankar), every female character in the film is badly written. At the very end, a voiceover states that the film is a tribute to all women who dedicate their lives to their husbands. This voiceover is one more reason to dispute the questionable ideology that the film propagate.
Rajakili is a lost cause right from the beginning, and, sadly, there is hardly anything vindicable about the film.
