Rashtra

The last couple of years have seen multiple films where the messaging is structured to invoke sympathy in favour of an idea or group. Rashtra attempts to be the same but loses sight of the message, the story, the protagonists and often its own purpose.

The story introduces a grand old dynast, his family and several characters who represent various interest groups. The story highlights the eternal struggles and deceitful games that are a mainstay of politics. What sets out to be a fearless expose of the seedy underbelly of several sensitive topics, ends up thoroughly and utterly desensitizing the audience by the end of the ordeal.

The very first thing you notice about Rashtra is the absence of cinematography. The scenes have the actors look straight into the camera and deliver hammy dialogues to no one in particular. The multiple hard cuts make the entire experience a visual travesty.

It is a wonder that director Inderpal Singh has been able to rope in several veteran actors for Rashtra. But it is sad to see these actors stumble and fall without proper guidance. The cameos of politicians in the film are literally interviews. One can easily find YouTube videos that have better production quality than Rashtra.

The dialogues, continuity, editing and sound of the film are amateurish at best and atrocious at worst. What could have been a film that addresses several serious issues of society is watered down to nothing, courtesy the poor execution. Frankly, there's no good reason for you to watch this one. If you still want to endure it, be warned.