Movie: Cheekati Rajyam
Rating: 2.75/5
Banner: Rajkamal Films
Cast: Kamal Hassan, Trisha, Madhu Shalini, Prakash Raj, Sampath, Kishore, Asha Sarath, Yugi Seth and others
Screenplay: Kamal Haasan
Dialogues: Abburi Ravi
Music: Ghibran
Cinematography: Sanu John Varghese
Editing: Shan Mohammed
Produced by: Kamal Haasan, S. Chandrahasan
Directed by: Rajesh M Selva
Release Date: November 20, 2015
After a long gap, Kamal Haasan has shot his movie in both Telugu and Tamil languages simultaneously to give the original feel to the Telugu audiences. Although the Tamil version Toongavanam had already been released, the Telugu version Cheekati Rajyam is here now.
The trailers and promotions have created huge interest regarding the movie. Does it live up the expectations, let’s find out…
Story:
Diwakar (Kamal Haasan) is an officer in narcotics department. Along with his colleague, he busts a gang that is taking 10 kg worth cocaine to a club owner Vittal Rao (Prakash Raj) but he keeps the bag with him. Diwakar is separated from his doctor wife and has a son.
Vittal Rao kidnaps Diwakar's son and demands him to bring the bag to release his son. With no other option, Diwakar goes to the Vittal Rao's club and there Mallika (Trisha) spots him and starts suspecting that Diwakar is also involved in drug smuggling gang. In the club, the bag is lost. How Diwakar would bring his son and who took the bag?
Artistes’ Performances:
Kamal Haasan even at this age has pulled off this action role with so much ease. Like always his performance is the main asset to the movie. He is terrific.
Trisha gets a meaty role as a fellow cop. This is quite different character for her and she has done good job.
Prakash Raj, Sampath and Kishore are at their best. The kid who played as Kamal's son is also good. Madhushalini is okay.
Technical Excellence:
Excellent technical values can be noticed. Although the movie completely runs in a club, the cameraman still has come up with many varied locations within the small setup. His cinematography, Gibran's background score and sound mixing are first rate.
Video: Watch Cheekati Rajyam Public Talk
Production values are good too. Action stunts are different and look very real like we see them in French action dramas.
Highlights:
- Superb Technical values
- Sound Design
Drawbacks:
- Uninteresting second half
- Predictable screenplay
Analysis:
Although it is remake of French movie Nuit Blanche, Kamal Haasan's Cheekati Rajyam is quite differently told with many original ideas. It seems only basic plot was taken from the French movie. After experimenting with many themes recently, Kamal Haasan has done this pretty plain and simple thriller.
Though it is a thriller movie, don't expect twists and turns. A father going all out to bring his son from kidnapper is the one line story of the movie and it is told in straight forward way with some drama.
Kamal Haasan the screenplay writer and the movie's director Rajesh Selva have focused more on class action sequences, sound design and background score to create interest in this drama. The action stunts and sound design is of international standards.
The movie sets off well in the first half but the second half lets you down as it moves on pretty plain manner.
Kamal Haasan has thrown in some funny lines in the middle of the drama to make the audiences chuckle, and there is also a satirical scene on the recent trend of some persons creating nuisance to stop the release of Kamal's movies in Tamilnadu. These are very clever scenes.
As said earlier, the movie has lot going for it like technical values, Kamal Haasan's performance and other actors' honest effort but it doesn't rise above the level of a taut and engaging thriller. Okay movie, on the whole.
Bottomline: Lacks Punch
(Venkat can be reached [email protected] or Twitter)
