RGV's Rakta Charitras

Got a chance to watch RGV's bloody saga on Ananthapur's factionist and surprising myself, I've sailed through the two parts of Rakta Charitra. Here are few thoughts on it.

The movie was neither good nor bad. Otherwise put, it's equally good and equally bad.

Flip side:

• All said and done, this is a gutsy film. Probably, a subject only someone like RGV can take up. Though they have been innumerable movies on the faction-ism and few on the factionists lives (like Sree Ramulayya and all), this is an attempt to portray two lives which had substantial influence on all of Andhra Pradesh in one way or the other.
• The best part of this attempt is, it neither supports nor disprove faction or people involved it. It just tries to act as a mirror to what has happened and leave it to the viewer to approve / disprove it according to his own understandings.
• According to me, the point RGV was trying across is, no one is good / bad by default. Individuals take the form and shape of the society they live in. Dialogues like, "Killing here is not a play. It's a need." drive the point home.
• The cast was fabulous. Though I thought actors like Kota were underutilized. 
• Loved Surya. His eyes were emotions at their best. No wonder I liked second part better than first one.
• The roles of  Shatrughna Sinha and Subhalekha Sudhakar played were my favourite. They scared me the best. :P

Flops:

• It is, probably, a problem for every creator. Tendency to do it all by yourself or to be everywhere possible. RGV's voice over to the film was pathetic, ridiculous and a huge let down. The narration could have been more gripping.. the voice could have done magic to the movie. But RGV has taken it for granted.
• I didn't see a point in having two parts for this movie. Especially when he miserably failed to project the good-bad combo in Pratap's character. When Pratap had reached his peak, how did it affect some parts of the society? What were the negativity in doing all this? I'd heard about Paritala Ravi's regime in his area from someone who has seen it up close. As my friend was narrating to it, chills were running down my spine. For a moment, I was wondering how on earth can such things happen in a democratic country like ours. This movie failed to highlight the point. To project that regime, that kingdom as it was.. which was heaven to people inside it and hellish misery for people outside it. It could have been a 3 hour long one movie, rather than 2 parts. 
• The violence is in the movie was surprisingly not scary enough. Not that I wanted to see too much of bloodshed, but I expected the movie to project the ferocity or wildness that is usually associated with such factionists. Pratap's murder in part 2, came too easily to leave an impact. 

 All in all, if you can sit through it - for four hours of well researched content and leniently executed attempt - this movie is thought provoking. Since the director doesn't take stands, it's on the viewer to do the rest of the thinking.

 For me, the best dialogue was when some MLA's complaint to the CM about Pratap saying, "He is spitting at democracy." To which, CM replies:

"Oh.. how about the days when democracy had spat at him?"

That kinda summarizes it for me. What goes around, comes around! Be it among people or be it between people and the system.