Introduction
Rakshana is a conceptual thriller crime film scheduled in 2024 in the Indian Telugu language with director Pradeep Thakore. ACP Kiran is played by Payal Rajput, the other artists cast opposite to Payal Rajput are Shivannarayana, Maanas, and Rajeev Kanakala. The plot continues the story of an ambitious police officer Kiran, who gets very close to solving a chain of suicides that draw a clear line of a conspiracy. The storyline of Rakshana makes the audience rely on the Law and order system and the characters portraying it promise strong performances in making the film reach out to the audience.
Release Date
Rakshana was out in theaters on June 7, 2024. The film created hype because of the trilling concept and the involvement of Payal Rajput as a protagonist leaving behind glamorous roles this time.
Crew:
| Role | Person(s) |
|---|---|
| Director | Prandeep Thakore |
| Screenplay | Thayanidhy Sivakumar |
| Writer | Prandeep Thakore, Thayanidhy Sivakumar |
| Producer | Prandeep Thakore |
| Editor | Garry Bh |
| Music Director | Mahati Swara Sagar |
Cast:
| Actor/Actress | Character Name |
|---|---|
| Payal Rajput | ACP Kiran |
| Maanas Nagulapalli | Arun |
| Chakrapani Ananda | Kiran’s father |
| Sivannarayana Naripeddi | DCP |
| Rajeev Kanakala | Ram’s father |
| Roshan | Ram |
| Devi | Priya |
| Sridhar Reddy | CI |
Story
The series revolves around ACP Kiran (Payal Rajput] who is personally upset by the death of her friend, Priya. Believing that Priya did not kill herself, but was murdered Kiran takes it upon herself to find justice for herself. When she begins her work, she encounters a great number of problems, which are the reluctance of her superiors to believe her word and pragmatic issues connected with the internal life of the police force.
Vivid realizes a man Arun (Maanas) stalking women in the locality after Kiran investigates the case. But as she investigates the case she finds links between Arun’s actions and several other very clearly unrelated cases of suicides. The film shows what Kiran has to face: lies and risks, and questions she has to answer: what is justice, and what is right?
The story builds around Kiran solving the case and struggling with herself and with her job which does not let her be a proper Indian woman. The climax presents some bitter truths that demolish Kiran’s morality and ethically force her to make decisions to deliver justice.
Review
Rakshana has only received favourable comments from the viewers and mixed comments from the critics. Some people have commended its performances, as well as themes and subjects of presented genres, while others have complained about its rhythm and skills applied.
Plus Points
- Strong Performances: Payal Rajput looks gorgeous for the second time as ACP Kiran portrayed the great resolve of the character along with a little angst. The audience also follows her change from a beautiful part to a dramatic role as well. Maanas also got it right and did a great job in lifting Arun’s character to the next level of acting.
- Engaging Narrative: Of course, the movie raises some social concerns such as, for instance, mental conditions, pressure within a society and justice in the sphere of police service. This makes the narrative both easily relatable and enjoyable for having the audience ponder in their time of consuming the content.
- Character Development: They could have developed their characters, especially Kiran fully, while the time allowed them to, but mostly they teach depression and shame as major lessons that the audience has to learn. The emotions of the main character are on a deep tension, she has not only certain personal problems but work-life issues as well.
- Cinematography: There are two instances where Anil Bandari as a private investigator shoots for the purpose; first during the investigative process and the second during the dramatic scenes, in the movie.
Minus Points
- Pacing Issues: Of course, the pacing issue was also mentioned by some critics observing that the film was too slow at the beginning and middle part and longer introductions of the characters were given. This can impact the attitude of the audience where they are at.
- Predictable Plot Twists: The plot seems therefore to be interesting however there are some twists and turns, which when watched by regular detective movies may be easily predicted. What this predictability will do is dampen to some extent the significance of major disclosures.
- Technical Flaws: Several clients took time to note that scenes were out of synch and CGI was poor thus making the shows less enjoyable.
Technical Aspects
Rakshana has a runtime of 139 minutes and is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Anil Bandari’s cinematography is both authentically raw in portraying police business and heartwarmingly dramatic in human relationships. The sequence editing done by Gary BH is orderly; but could have been more compact to have a better rhythm. As for the original songs and soundtracks; Mahati Swara Sagar has given appropriate music that fits the atmosphere and genre of the film well on the suspense sometimes the songs may not have the mark and may not linger in the long run.
Performance
Payal Rajput looks great as ACP Kiran and does a particularly good job of playing the emotional angle given that the character is fighting both personal tragedy and systemic corruption to avenge her friend. This is so because through her performance she can give the movie depth and a relatable character. Maanas lends a great account of the character of Arun with finesse in portraying the negative image which also makes him the victim of the show. Their conversation creates a tense mood in the scenes that he has with Kiran.
Shivannarayana does a good job as a superior officer of Kiran and offers excellent support along with a far deeper drama. The characters work well, but while supporting characters are fine, some main characters could have used better development.
MoviePopTime Review:
The movie and its idea work with me in general, but it seems to me that in some ways it was weak. For example, the Background Music (BGM) and dubbing are not up to the standards sometimes it becomes an interruption. A few screenplay problems jerked me out of the movie a few times when the dialogues and scenes didn’t look in harmony.
However, the film has great value in comparison with the other films from the investigation genre. Had it been produced well, it would have been an excellent masterpiece, or so the movie could have been. That said, I would still recommend giving this a watch, if only for one turn because the idea behind it is interesting and very different from traditional proposals.
Conclusion
Altogether, the film Rakshana is an empathizing crime investigative drama that serves justice, ethics and personality transformation of police. It has to do with problems of rhythm and of the overly planned, but M has merits regarding performances and sociopolitical significance. Pradeep Thakore has weaved a story out of the reality we all live in and makes it interesting enough while narrating a tale focused on the development of the lead character.
Some technical drawbacks, and certain issues with sustaining the correct pace, do not entirely take away from the fact that those into crime dramas that leave you thinking about the shades of grey that each character possesses should consider giving Rakshana a watch. In totality, the movie Rakshana needs to be placed as a strong enhancement of the treatment of crime thrillers in Telugu cinema. It will be a success; or lack thereof that defines how well it appeals to audiences who are looking for narratives that depict the tangible struggles of people who are defending justice. Rakshana leaves viewers with a provocative topic of truth and responsibility after identifying the realistic and talented actors’ performances.
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