Rajneeti - this one not only entertains, but also enlightens!

It is said that the epic saga of Mahabharata contains all the stories that exist in this world, be it lies, deceit, lust for power, revenge. In short all those that can make a solid impact. Raajneeti – one of the most powerful and pertinent political parables in India undoubtedly happens to be Mahabharata where brothers fought against each other to gain ultimate power. Prakash Jha employs the same politics of power in his contemporary adaptation of Mahabharata, deriving its primary plot and central characters from the epic. But then at the same time he has merged dollops of The God father within it. Nonetheless, the end product makes a compelling watch.

Rajneeti as a film speaks about the political system of India, how it operates, and how the dynasties perpetuate their political power. Rajneeti also depicts the saga of violence, betrayal, crime and use of money to secure power and pelf for oneself.

To me, RAAJNEETI is a human drama, a complex game that people indulge in to achieve power and how this greed envelopes them and transforms them into ruthless and conniving humans. I admit, it takes time for the story to sink in, but slowly and steadily, you get sucked into a world that's dark, dangerous and demonish. Cinema is all about narrating interesting stories on celluloid and for that very reason, RAAJNEETI deserves distinction marks. Of course, the massive star cast and the sparkling performances are the icing on the cake.

Absolutely brilliant performances by every single actor of the mammoth cast, also including those with smaller parts. As expected Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar and are at their best. Manoj Bajpai and Ranbir manage to match up to them as well and deliver a power packed punch. Katrina impresses with her uninhibited act. SaraThompson as Ranbir’s foreigner girlfriend also leaves an impact in her relatively smaller part. But a performance that may win some awards for sure has been delivered by Arjun Rampal whose like the untamed lion (my personal favourite among all!)

Overall, Rajneeti is one of the most compelling films in recent times and Prakash Jha’s best in a long time. He is the best in business when it comes to handling political drama. Prakash Jha, the persona, is known for qualitative cinema and RAAJNEETI, his new offering, stands tall on the list.

I strongly advocate this film. Do yourself a favour: Watch RAAJNEETI.