Vikrant Rona Movie Review
Filmmaker Anup Bhandari made his directorial debut with the movie ‘Rangitaranga’, a blockbuster hit followed by an experimental travel-based movie titled ‘Rajaratha’ that featured Tamil actor Arya in the negative role. His third outing ‘Vikrant Rona’, initially titled ‘Phantom’ went on floors, a couple of years ago, but eventually got stalled due to the pandemic issues. Significantly with the title ‘Vikrant Rona’, it started capturing the spotlight with the official announcement over its release recently. Finally, the movie finds a worldwide theatrical release today.
Before getting into the analysis of Vikrant Rona, there are a few points to be considered. The movie is set against the backdrops of a fictional village called Kamarottu, which was created by the director of his debut movie ‘Rangitaranga’. Even the locations in many places are the same including the Bridge that connects the outside world to the forest village, where again we see a mysterious character cloaked as Bhootha (Ghost as mentioned by locals) as in Rangitaranga. There are many identical situations that the director implants herein Vikrant Rona. The opening scene itself involving the attack on a lady and kidnapping of her little daughter loudly resembles the similar prologue scene from Rangitaranga, with a pregnant woman kidnapped. Then comes the Kamarottu Mane (House), Bhoothadh Pooja, and lots more. To put it in simple terms for the Tamil audiences, it’s more like Loki Universe that we recently saw in Vikram.
Over the past three decades, mysterious incidents are occurring in the fictional village of Kamarottu. When newly transferred police officer Vikrant Rona (Kiccha Sudeep) arrives, he starts sensing something fishy and starts investigating beyond the usual limits, where every character looks suspicious not just the protagonist, but the audience as well.
Getting on with the positives, it’s a sincere and honest attempt with 3D visuals. We have come across many movies including Hollywood flicks, where 3D is applied only for a few particular scenes and the rest of the movie would be 2D. However, Vikrant Rona is purely 3D, where few shots really throw the ultimate surprise on you. The visual effects are the next one to steal our attention and so is the cinematography. The background score is yet another emblazonment to the movie. If you’re again very familiar with the world of Rangitaranga and a diehard fan of Sudeep, then the interval scene is sure to send a beam of Goosebumps. In fact, the particular scene elevates the graph of this movie turning us curious about what’s gonna happen next. The director has placed most of the twists in the second half. The last 25 minutes of the movie are a big plus, where the essence of horror is pushed into the premise and the single-shot final action sequence is extraordinary. The only problem with VR is much similar to what director Nelson faced with Beast. The filmmaker is known for unique content-driven plots, but when it was about handling a superstar, it became director Vs actor. Similarly, Anup Bhandari tries to execute his brilliance, but in many places had to maintain the low key to enthrall the Sudeep fans.
Overall, Vikrant Rona deserves appreciation for the outstanding visual treat and the setting of the story. It’s a treat for Sudeep fans, and yes, if you’re familiar with Rangi Taranga, then you’ll enjoy this Anup Bhandari universe. The movie has been treated with a slow-paced dramatic approach, which might not be a favorite pick for the racy mystery thriller lovers, but still, VR is watchable for the abovementioned positives.
Verdict: A commendable treat for Kichcha Sudeep fans and ardent buffs of Rangi Taranga.
Rating: 3/5
Review By – Magesh
