Rang Rasiya Movie Review - Stilted story telling that barely engages

Rang Rasiya, Ketan Mehta's biopic on one of India's most famous painter Raja Ravi Varma, is colourful, passionate and mounted large. Yet despite some good performances the film doesn't really grip you the way it could have.

Beginning with an exhibition of the artists work being defaced by protests the film chronicles Ravi Varma's disenchantment with studies and career and insistence on pursuing art. The film takes on a journey of how he finds court patronage and brings to life the mythological heritage of India through his wide ranging canvases populated by Indian gods and goddesses.

The film also delves into how in a changing society he brings gods out of temples and into the reach of the lower castes and untouchables. His printing of calendar art and making posters of God's and goddesses that India still worships makes for an interesting watch. 

The other side to the story is Ravi Varma's passion to art and in the process for his muses. With the first hindi film with frontal nudity Rang Rasiya breaks some new ground. The scenes are aesthetic and classy. Yet they seem out of place. May be because we are not used to this in our cinema.

Randeep as Ravi Varma is good so is Nandana Sen as his muse. Though neither of them are able to make the characters rise beyond the scripts and leave an impact. The music too is very avant garde for its own good.

Some tighter story telling would have benefited this film immensely. It is a good attempt that does not fall into the skin show titillation in the name of art genre. Yet it is not something that would be remembered for long either.

Rating: 2 / 5