Rang Rasiya (2014)

You won't be disappointed!

Why so much hype?

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Colors of Passion, original Hindi title "Rang Rasiya" Directed by Ketan Mehta - 2008, 2015Viewed at Innsbruck Film Festival, June 2015By Alex Farba DeleonThe Message of the movie is "Down with Artistic Freedom of Expression" --very timely in the year of the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris only six months ago, but the Medium is unfortunately weak. Rang Rasiya was actually made in 2008, and even premiered at Cannes Festival, but was not released in India, because of certain bold scenes. The film was finally given a theatrical release after six years in 2014.TRIVIA:This Indian film by a highly respected veteran director, Ketan Mehta, when completed five years ago in 2008 and revealed at the River to River Indian Film festival in Italy at that time, but was quickly banned from circulation in India and shelved until now. The reason for the ban at the time was not for political reasons but rather because Mehta dared to tweak the long standing Indian taboo against female nudity and mouth to mouth osculation on screen -- involving actress Nandana Sen, the daughter of an Indian Nobel Prize winner, no less! That restriction has now been openly challenged in a number of other films since, so a somewhat modified version of Rang Rasiya has been approved for general release. At Innsbruck two versions were actually shown, a full length original director's cut, and the somewhat trimmed and shortened version currently on release. Lead actress Nandana Sen, an official guest of the festival, was on hand to introduce the film and field audience questions at both screenings.Basically Rang Rasiya is a classic biopic focusing on the life of 19th century Indian Painter Raja Ravi Varma, who was and is India's most famous painter, contemporary with the French Impressionists, but who became quite a controversial figure because he painted the gods and goddesses of Indian tradition as down to earth humans, often partially nude in erotic compositions. So compelling was his painterly skill that many people worshiped his tableaux on their knees seeing them as divinely inspired sacred iconography. At one point Varma was arrested and put on trial for offending public decency but eventually acquitted by a sympathetic judge and jury. Director Mehta has made a handsomely crafted picture rich in color, period detail, and voluptuous imagery, but strangely lacking in passion. One big problem is that lead actor Randeep Hooda is too macho-handsome and 21st century contempo to convince as a sensitive 19th century artist from the Dravidian south. Which is not to say that he doesn't give what the script asks of him -- just that he was the wrong man for the job -- a tricky case of miscasting probably aimed at attracting the mass audience to a touchy subject. What comes out is a preachy dissertation on censorship of sexiness rather than a moving condemnation of artistic repression in general.Because of the surface glossiness and compromises made in order to reach the unwashed masses the sincerely intended message(s) become muddled in a colorful but dispassionate biopic that could have and should have been much more gripping. Bottom Line, nice try but no Cigar ~ better luck next time

Rang Rasiya or Colours of passion revolves around the life of the painter, Raja Ravi Verma of Travancore. The painter is married to a queen who does not have high regard for his work. But in places where art stinks is also the same where it finds inspiration.He finds his muse in Sugandha, Nandana Sen.While she's dressing up one morning, he asks her to stay and paints her. A new subject rekindles his interest and he begins to paint. But there are also protests from a section of society, which the film tries to depict. The accusations are mostly on grounds of 'immorality'. .The painter is frequently pulled into courts, where questions "Do you live at your wife's house and do you squander your time at the palace " are put to him. Nandana Sen has carved a role for herself in the film and Randeep Hooda has played an artist-who-is-not-dazed role to an applaud. Tom Alter, as an English judge, appeared as an understanding-British- judge. The film imbues the pre-independence setting at a local level pretty well on the screen. The moments where the painter and the muse make love, is so beautifully painted, is like aesthetic health to the audience.Rang Rasiya is an unorthodox treatment of an artist -fighting- society-and-back-theme in the celluloid world. And to treat it with the maturity of an Indian audience is quite a feat. The music grows well into the film. The film reminded me of "Frida" by the American Broadway and film director, Julie Taymor. A question arises, is it unfair to a woman, who's a subject to a painter, to feel neglected on account of the painter's interest in many subjects during his development process. Do go and experience colours of passion!

Hindi Cinema has never been keen on making enlightening biographies, especially of any talented creative artists born in our part of the world in the last century. In the beginning we made movies on all mythological characters and then the focus shifted on to the life of key historical figures, freedom fighters, rebels and occasionally a sportsman or a business tycoon too as seen in the recent times. But very rarely we have made a film (not documentaries) on any creative artist of our country who had an exceptionally god gifted talent in any particular artistic stream and celebrated his entire life with the blessed art right till the last days.Thankfully, RANG RASIYA is one of those rare and important biographical dramas based on the life of 19th century painter RAJA RAVI VARMA, who was the pioneer artist, painting the divine Indian GODS and GODESSES on his canvas with an exceptional grace and beauty. Directed by Ketan Mehta the period drama stars Randeep Hooda and Nandana Senin the lead but unfortunately remained in the cans for six long years since its completion in 2008.Now where a few blame the internal disputes of the makers as the cause of this long delay in its release, others mention its extremely bold scenes as the key reason for getting stuck in the censors, in order to avoid any communal unrest among the people. Anyway, whatever the reason might be, the sad irony remains that despite being a rare, courageous film made on one of the most famous Indian painters (who earned a world acclaim too), the project could found no takers till recently, when Randeep Hooda became a part of some highly successful films at the box office making a name of his own. Hence where the censors & controversies can be termed as the front side of the coin, the completely business minded & cruel exhibition norms of the industry form its other hidden side, never giving the much needed support to such artistic films since last many decades of our film-history to say the bitter truth.Moving ahead, the film has now reached the theatres and is available for all the lovers of such meaningful or enlightening cinema waiting desperately. But if in case it fails to find a decent number of viewers in the theatres post this prolonged wait, then it will declare we the audience too as a part of this questionable partial system ruining such great attempts made, on a constant basis.Recalling my experience of watching RANG RASIYA, I luckily saw it in a Film festival last year and was simply enthralled by the life experiences of the celebrated painter RAJA RAVI VARMA and the hardships he had to face leading him to the court of law on the charges of spreading vulgarity. Based on the biographical novel by Ranjit Desai the film passionately talks about Varma's obsessive art and the struggle to practice his free artistic expressions depicting the mythological characters creatively. And many would be stunned to know that though his exquisite paintings were getting famous all over the world in that particular era, the artist was arrested in his own country on the charge of obscenity and offending religious & cultural sentiments of the public by painting in an indecent manner.Frankly, RANG RASIYA was an eye opener for me too as I was also not aware of such astonishing facts about one of the greatest Indian painters of my own country. And that is exactly why bio-pics need to be made like an effective means of spreading awareness in the present generation to be precise. Yes, technically it can easily be called an artistically inclined film made with a sincere motive accompanied by a decent cinematography, average soundtrack (which could be much better) and impressive performances by the entire cast led by Randeep Hooda and the gorgeous Nandana Sen.However it's not the technical qualities for which the film is being included here in the list of must watch movies, but it's the informative value of its shocking as well as educative content which essentially needs to be told to our younger generation and not to be slipped under the carpet as some forgettable part of our history. So ignoring all the controversies and unnecessary delay over its release, I would like to recommend watching RANG RASIYA as a must, since its a film which would straight away remind you of a sharp contradictory truth of the recent times related with another legendary artist M. F. Hussain.Putting it more clearly, what we did with M. F. Hussain is nothing new as the same had been done with Raja Ravi Varma too way back in the 19th century. So its only the calendar changing its dates, whereas our thinking patterns still remain the same insulting the creative minds of the nation, giving them awards posthumously and refusing their respected dues in their lifetimes following a shameful pattern.With a hope that the future India would learn this important lesson of giving that 'artistic freedom' to its creators through this brave, thoughtful and honest depiction by Ketan Mehta, do watch this at the earliest and know more about your history with a different perspective.

Biopics have been made in Bollywood, but on an artist is for the first time. Directed by Ketan Mehta, way back in 2008, 'Rang Rasiya' finally gets released in India.Ketan Mehta, the man behind films like 'Sardar', 'Mangal Pandey: The Rising', 'Mirch Masala' and so on, has made another biopic. After having a good time at The Times BFI London Film Festival, finally we get to see the movie. Let's analyze how good is it?Raja Ravi Varma (Randeep Hooda) is an artist for whom painting is worship. When he marries the princess of Kerala (Tripta Parashar), he decides to paint his wife as an inspiration. But when she demeans the art form and shoos him away, he decides to look for beauty beyond and finds it in Kamini (Rashanaa Shah), one of the servants in the palace. While she inspires him to paint one of the masterpieces that is responsible for him to win the title 'Raja' from the King of Travancore, the death of this old king leaves Ravi Varma shattered and he decides to shift base to Mumbai where he attempts to rediscover the love for art. So when he meets the gorgeous Suganda (Nandana Sen) in a temple, she becomes his inspiration for his future works. In an attempt to impress his biggest patron, the Raja of Baroda (Sameer Dharmadikari), Ravi Varma undertakes the task of showcasing Indian culture through the language of art with his paintings. While his paintings become available to the common man, the 'so called' guardians of the Hindu culture raise objection and Ravi Varma is arrested for using human face for God and also for portraying aesthetic art through nudity.The story-screenplay (Ranjit Desai (based on his novel, 'Raja Ravi Varma'), Ketan Mehta, Sanjeev Dutta) has the artistic aesthetics to it. The final print too looks arty but mostly targets the snooty- class of audience, which I belong to, and it does not appeal to everybody. Music (Sandesh Shandilya) is quite melodious, but forgettable. The BGM is noteworthy though. Cinematography (Christo Bakalov) is mesmerising. Each frame looks alive and artistic. Direction (Ketan Mehta) is quite good too, but the ending is quite abrupt. Editing (Yves Beloniak, Pratik Chitalia) is quite apt. Stunts (M. E. Nigade) are well-coordinated. But the best parts aspects of the film are the costumes (Anurag, Niharika Khan), art work and the paintings. All of these look authentic.Of the cast, Randeep Hooda steals the show. His chemistry with Nandana Sen is sensuous. Rest of the cast act with sincerity.'Rang Rasiya', is a perfect example of a classy biopic on an artist, forgotten by the History. But the problem is it does not appeal to everyone's taste, unlike 'Jodhaa Akbar', directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Go to your nearest theatre to witness this artistic movie.