Kranti review: Darshan tries valiantly to salvage Harikrishna’s uninspiring film, but the script fails him and how!

2/5

Story: When the Salatri Group attempts to takeover 12000 government schools to privatise them, it is up to renowned entrepreneur Kranti Rayana (Darshan) to come to the rescue. Taking on a private group is fair game, but how will he get the government also to toe the line and ensure the institutions remain open to children?

Review: During the pandemic, when pictures of Challenging Star Darshan emerged, they were far from flattering. He had gained a lot of weight, his hairline was receding and was in no shape to make an onscreen appearance. The minute his film Kranti was announced, though, he hit the gym with a vengeance. “When my celebrities head out to watch my films, I have to make sure that the outing is worthwhile; it has to be paisa vasool. Not only does the film have to be entertaining, but I also need to look presentable. Else, why will they pay for the ticket when they have other options like, say, Hrithik Roshan, etc.,” he had told OTTplay during the promotions of the film. It didn’t stop naysayers; the trolling continued, with a fresh boost of energy each time a glimpse from Kranti was released. Yet another ‘jathre’ film, they said.

Throughout it all, Darshan stood his ground. He’s made a Kannada film for his celebrities, with a subject relevant to his land, he said, adding that audiences would not be disappointed with Kranti. Well, the moment of truth is here. Kranti is in theatres today. Does it live up to Darshan’s promise? Sadly, no. On a very personal note, the best way to describe director-composer Harikrishna's film would be, 'unbearable'.

As a filmmaker, Harikrishna loses the plot fairly early on. Oh wait, what plot, one may ask. The filmmaker's entire focus is on trying to play to the gallery, but even with a star like Darshan in hand, he fails miserably. His efforts to celebrate his hero onscreen gives die-hard fans a few whistle-worthy moments, although they defy logic and how! As a director's actor, Darshan plays along and valiantly tries to salvage the film, but this is even beyond him and just cannot be fixed. 

Even with a formidable cast at his disposal, Harikrishna fails at giving even one a character worth mentioning; it's all utterly caricaturish. Most of them do not get more than a line or two and apart from lending their name to the star cast, do not really contribute anything worthwhile to the narrative. Of course, they cannot be blamed, given that Harikrishna’s script doesn’t offer them anything to sink their teeth into. He should, perhaps, stick to his core competency – compose music – and leave the filmmaking to others.

The biggest failing, of course, is in the choice of antagonist. Darshan needed a formidable opponent, but what he gets is model-actor Tarun Arora, whose only job is to strut around in designer suits. Hell, he is actually kitted out better than Darshan for the most part. The less said the better about P Ravi Shankar and Mutant Raghu as the father-son baddie duo.

The question, then, is whether there is anything worth writing about Kranti. Yet again, that’s a resounding no. The overwhelming feeling is to shed a tear for Darshan and his ‘conviction’ in the ‘subject’. How is it that the entire team of Kranti was so confident about it? More importantly, how does one unsee the travesty that was Bombe Bombe.

Verdict: The film highlights pertinent issues about government-run schools, but that’s where it ends. There is no solution offered. Does Darshan really prove his superstardom? That remains to be seen because this Kranti is going to solely depend on his celebrities. This is not even for hardcore commercial movie fans.