STORY & INTRODUCTION
Bollywood is predictable for the general audience but is mysterious too if the seekers looking for a different experience get a shot on a not-so-well-known project.
Ever heard of RK/Rkay? Yes, this is a Bollywood film that was released in India last year (2022). And no, it is not some C-grade film with first-audition actors shooting on low-scale camera work. The actors in this film are Rajat Kapoor, Mallika Sherawat, Ranvir Shorey, Kubbra Sait, and Manu Rishi Chadda. My interest in this film developed when I found out that Rajat Kapoor directed the film. And I like his directional style and natural timing in black comedy. Even the stories of his films are quite divergent.
In RK/Rkay, the director RK with his crew completes a film. But while editing the film for the final cut, the leading character Mahboob Alam disappears throughout the recording of the film. Mahboob Alam is roped in real life and RK tries to convince his creation for the reshoots.
REVIEW
I have no knowledge if this plot is copied from somewhere because if this is the original work, what a spectacular idea this is! We get to view real and fiction in the same frame like hardly ever before.
The first half sets the dynamics of the plot. A kind of world is amazed to us where real humans can look at the existence of fictional characters, communicate and argue with them. The second half unfortunately bores me and things do not pace up towards the conclusion. The reason is that Rajat Kapoor was able to surprise us with the plot in the first hour but the follow up and the business end of the script couldn’t maintain the same tone. Your mood will feel more off in the continuity. The story in the second half was not at all growing or moving anywhere for some time.
But generally speaking and summing up about the film, one can make a lot of theories from RK/Rkay. One can take Mahboob Alam in the film as a metaphor or RK in state of imagination. Perhaps, the whole story was a made-up to assume if Mahboob Alam was RK himself who actually was in love with the character of Gulabo. If you notice, RK’s wife Seema inquires why he wants to make this film. She also doesn’t take much interest in the film but is sympathetic with Mahboob Alam.
The screenwriter says to RK in the editing room that he shouldn’t have acted in the film. This further presses why RK was firm to play the lead in his own direction. He often was depicted being in conversation with Gulabo in the film clips. Why did he choose the Gulabo actress Neha over other candidates in the audition who were better than her. Neha was so dumb that she didn’t even sense if she has to utter Mahboob once or twice. Was Neha’s individuality the one that resembled the love of RK’s life?
The film has a lot of artistic appeal and thoughtful creativity. I liked that opening sequence of various Mahboob Alams entering and leaving most of the doors in a colorful shot giving a noir feeling. I observed that Mahboob Alam in most of the scenes was enlightened. Perhaps, this was a reflection of hope towards RK or maybe he was dramatized as an angel or a spirit. Mahboob Alam had everyone’s attention and was naturally keeping happy besides RK himself. One of Seema’s friend in the party admits to her that this Mahboob is way better than the one she has. So this further presses that RK was a sad husband whose wife Seema was actually not his Gulabo but someone in the past or maybe in his utopia. So he gave birth to his imagination who could openly express his love for Gulabo. But gets frustrated when his creation enters his home and wins everyone.
CLOSING REMARKS
The technical aspects were excellent. The film definitely had upper hand in both costume and production designing. Although the screenplay got weak in the second half but the dialogues were natural and thoughtful especially Mahboob’s part of writing was contemplative. The performances were all average, I don’t think that was taken seriously. Only Rajat himself did a fair job. I must include how charming and beautiful Mallika Sherawat looks in the film. And she is 46!
RK/Rkay is a thoughtful film with a lot of philosophy, wit, and humor involved. Had the second half equated the first, would have been one of the best films from 2022.
RATING 6/10
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Sami Naik | Film Critic 