Starcast: Shahid Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Sonu Sood, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukul Dev, Asrani, Srihari

Director: Prabhu Dheva

Rating: *1/2

Trends may come and go in Bollywood where some of the creative cine literati will keep on trying their hands on something out of the box, but at the same time there is another league of cine conceptualisers, who love to stick to their tried and trusted formula of movie making.

It won't be wrong to say that ever-since 2012 a flock B-town cine wizards have not only served a diverse range of cine glee to the audience, but there is another clan of cine virtuosi as well who have preferred to stick to their own patent formula of "masala entertainers". And one such cine sorcerer who ever-since making it big on the cinematographic arena has not left his fascination for the crafting of "masala entertainers" is, Prabhu Dheva, whose recent cine creation, starring Shahid Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Sonu Sood, Mukul Dev Asrani et al, R... Rajkumar made it to silver screen today. And as anticipated despite Prabhu Dheva's legacy backing it, the movie could not fetch a major foot fall at its opening.

After seeing some of the previous cine chronicles of Prabhu Dheva belonging top same ilk like, "Wanted" and "Rowdy Rathore" etc, there remains no doubt that he is well versed with the art of creating a captivating masala movies, full of humor, action, romance and besides this consisting nearly all the significant condiments required to make a thoroughly entertaining cine delight. But with R... Rajkumar it looks like this tried and trusted formula of Prabhu has ditched him this time. Probably because this time it was not a remake of some southren blockbuster as it was the case with "Wanted" and "Rowdy Rathore".


With its roots embedded in rustic background (which by now has turned into an essential for almost every Prabhu Dheva movies) and a milieu of guns, politics, opium-farming, R... Rajkumar narrates the story of a street smart orphan who arrives at Dhartipur. And soon after his stepping into this dreaded town which is primarily governed by two of the drug mafias, Shivraj Singh and Parmar, Rajkumar joins Shivraj's gang.

With frames rolling ahead Rajkumar has a rendezvous with his lady love Chanda, about whose being Parmar's niece, he only got to know when on the directions of Shivraj he goes to assassinate Parmar. But the actual disaster for Rajkumar begins when Shivraj also fall head over heel for Chanda and unites with Parmar to marry Chanda. So does Rajlkumar succeeds in winning his lady love or not to know watch R...Rajkumar.

As stated earlier that undoubtedly Prabhu Dheva is master of the ilk, when it comes to crafting a masala entertainer, but this time the ace cinematographer has badly fumbled in his own fiefdom.

After being spectator to so many masala cine flicks by now each and every cine fan is well apprised with the formula of an entertaining masala entertainer, but inspite of that in the recent past there had been a few of the cine delights which have thoroughly succeeded in charming the masses despite having an antiquated formula at its base.


But unfortunately this is not the case with "R... Rajkumar" which eversince its inception keeps on looking completely mossy. In fact it won't be wrong to say that while drafting the script Prabhu Dheva nowhere bothered to incorporate something out-of-the-box or innovative in the script of "R... Rajkumar". And instead preferred to go ahead with his preconceived notions and only huddled his past experiences, especially those pertaining to "Wanted" and "Rowdy Rathore" and clubbed them together to have an end product called script of "R...Rajkumar". But if we give a more rational observation to "R...Rajkumar" then in one line script of the movie can be defined as a potpourri of romance and action where latter is knitted in the string of former.

With somewhat bland humor and overdose of all the relevant condiments required for the making of a good entertainer "R... Rajkumar" has nothing innovative in the offering for the audience which has by now become habitual of seeing somewhat believable things which can compel them to assimilate with the onscreen proceedings. So on narration front with a stodgy story-line underneath it, "R...Rajkumar" badly fails in pleasing the fans with its written content.

In the absence of some innovative story-line probably screenplay would have saved the grace of "R... Rajkumar", but even on that front, despite taking the aid of screenplay writers like Sunil Agrawal and Ravi S Sundaram, Prabhu fails miserably. And everything pertaining to the flow of the narration and screenplay seems to be struggling hard to come out of the quagmire of antiquity.


Including romance, action, drama and even the dialogues seems to be something dabbled in the ale of conventionalism. And the factor which catalyzes the disaster is hyper degree of predictability which straightaway kicks out the curiosity out of the cine arena.

Although referring to his previous cine experiences Prabhu Dheva assiduously tries to cash upon the quality of action, but even this tactic of his seems to be boomeranging for the movie, because even those excessively stretched action sequences become unbearable after a point of time. Carnatic style of action, humor romance would have worked for Prabhu in the past, but this time it up-till an extent it turns into a source of monotony for the viewers. Even the editing of Ballu Saluja looks so lazily done that it pushes the movie miles towards the disaster mark.

Leaving a few songs like "Gandi Baat", "Saree Ke Fall", rest of the songs are nothing more than a bunch haywire lyrical work. Although in music department Pritam Chakrawarty up-till an extent has tried to save some grace of the movie, but in the absence of appealing lyrics even this, ace musician has failed in doing so.


Well coming to the performance, but before that it becomes a mandate to talk about the casting. Probably before deciding the characters, makers of "R... Rajkumar" would have felt that after emerging as destiny changers for Salman and Akki with "Wanted" and "Rowdy Rathore", they may succeed in doing some miracles for Shahid too. But contrary to their expectations it's the boyish charm of Shahid which acted as calamity for the persona of onscreen Rajkumar.

Although by assigning him loads of action sequences maker tried to bring, Shahid in the league of men, but unfortunately that didn't happen and ultimately the over machismo persona of onscreen protagonists ended making up a mockery of the character itself.

Anyhow, even "R...Rajkumar" has failed in shouldering the sinking career of, Shahid who thoroughly fails in slipping the shoes of his onscreen character. Be it about emotional expressiveness, performing those hardcore actions or being funny, on all the fronts Shahid seems to be sitting in the lap of melodrama which thoroughly fails in impressing those watching the movie.

As usual Sonakshi seems to be reprising her previously seen characters, so nothing much praiseworthy to say about her too. As antagonists Sonu Sood has looked somewhat convincing, whereas Ashish Vidhyarthi and Mukul Dev are strictly OK.


When it's about fate of any "masala movies" then certainly earning potency is something which is the deciding factor. And in case of "R...Rajkumar" even this mandatory gauge of BO success is expected to ditch the "R...Rajkumar" and that's because, except Prabhu Dheva's legacy the movie has nothing else to pull the masses till the multiplexes.

To sum up, with an overdose of all the significant condiments required to make an entertaining masala entertainer, "R... Rajkumar" is strictly an avoidable cine flick.