The movie 2022, starring Sudeep and starring Vikrant Rona, raises the question of whether the genre has been accepted by the general public or if there is still some dysphoria surrounding it. Due to concerns about its widespread acceptance, the Indian cinema industry has always been a little hesitant to go into the world of adventure and fantasy thrillers. Even when it comes to crafting the ideal potboiler, romantic drama or comedy are any filmmaker’s first two choices. The 2015 blockbuster Bahubali likely dispelled that myth and gave the filmmakers hope that, with the right story, even a fantasy adventure could connect with viewers. In an effort to uncover something genuine, the Kannada industry continued to explore the Kolar Mines; they too unearthed gold. KGFreinstated the idea that an adventure action drama can succeed, and it also proved that it isn’t necessary for it to be set in the past in order to do so.
Ashutosh Gowarikar’s 2016 film Mohanjodaro, which was an adventure comedy, bombed badly. In 2017, Jagga Jasoos followed suit, although there was still some optimism because it had the correct intentions overall. The movie, in my opinion, had a lot of potential, but due to some unfortunate executional errors, it bombed, and after the previous failures, the idea of acceptability and cost-effectiveness once again hung over us. In 2018, a movie arrived on the big screen that gave the adventure/fantasy genre an incredibly authentic touch of dread. Tumbbad unlocked a world of opportunities. It helped us understand that we already had a wealth of stories ingrained in our culture that, for some reason, we have been unwilling to draw into, rather than having to seek to the William Keighleys and James Camerons of the world for inspiration. The best thing about mythology and folktales is that they can be transformed into any shape or form, and a personified version of them would still have significance in the modern world if you are hesitant to create a period work.
The imaginary town of Kamarottu is the setting for Anup Bhandari’s and John Mahendran’s film, Vikrant Rona. In the sparsely populated village, a lot of unusual things had been occurring. In the nearby forest, 16 dead youngsters had been found hanging. Everyone was afraid to venture outside after dark, particularly close to the Kamarottu House. Suresh Krishna, a police officer, was making some discoveries and advancements when his decapitated body was discovered hanging in the well next to the Kamarottu residence. The day after the event, a new police officer took over as the acting chief. The fearless policeman, who was dressed in a beard and a cigar and exuded flair and vitality, arrived in the village with his daughter, Guddi, also known as Geethanjali Rona, and assumed control of the situation. In order to uncover a gap or a deviation from the pattern that his forebears had overlooked and help him solve the mystery, he kept everyone under wraps. Together with her father, Vishwanath, twin brother Munna, and mother, Aparna Ballal, commonly known as Panna, had travelled to the village. In keeping with tradition, Vishwanath wanted her daughter to be married within the confines of the village. Vishawanath’s family had a close relationship with the Gambhira family before moving to the city.
A longtime friend of the Ballal family named Janardhan Gambhira, who may be considered Vishwanath’s older brother, remained in the community. Janardhan was infamous for having a short fuse. Sanju, also known as Sanjeev Gambhira, the father’s son, makes a 28-year return to his village but is denied entry because Janardhan still harbours strong animosity for him. The faces of the victims are consistently painted in a way that resembles a mask when they are discovered. They said that the Brahmarakshasa was to blame for the murders. A Brahma Rakshasa was a brahmin who, according to Hindu legend, cursed himself by misusing his knowledge and engaging in wicked behaviour. There was more to it, Vikrant Rona was aware of that. He was aware that someone was in charge of planning everything and using the rakshasa legend to easily hide their identity.
The folklore setting gives the entire story a much-needed sense of tenacity. The creators combine parallels to American comic book character The Phantom with Indian mythology elements. The location of a rural town, a dark mythological figure, and satanic rituals all contribute to the gloom and terror. Female protagonists are still uncommon in mass-produced entertainment, therefore massy entertainers typically concentrate on their protagonists’ opening sequences and attempt to tap into his (a gender-specific pronoun is used purposely) real-life fan base. Understanding how to build up a hero-defining moment is crucial if you want the entrance scene to cause a stir in the cinemas. All credit for Vikrant Rona’s success goes to the protagonist’s charisma on screen. Sudeep is credible for the most part, but the convenience and simplicity with which he handles the difficult scenario on his own is difficult to swallow and to overlook. I suppose it is a characteristic that you must unavoidably accept and surrender to while watching a mass-market entertainer, though.
B. Ajaneesh Loknath’s background score, which makes fantastic use of folk beats and titillates you in the process, is another excellent component of the movie. The cinematography by William David and the visual effects by Akhilesh Kumar, Firefly Suresh, and Prashant Thakur can startle you more than they can astonish you. The use of special effects in the movie, according to the creators, is what makes it unique. As a result, many sequences are likely added just for effect, which occasionally appears unneeded because it slows down the screenplay and loses pace. The songs make use of innovative choreography and melody, but it cannot be denied that they look a bit forced-fitted in the scheme of things, especially when a suspense thriller necessitates a tight storyline that keeps you on edge at all times.
The movie’s climactic moment, which took around 15 days to shoot, had been the subject of much discussion. There is no disputing that it offers a cinematically rich experience, even if it occasionally favours and simplifies things for the protagonist and is perhaps a little over the top. Personally, I believe that if the protagonist had not been transformed into this supreme, faultless, and unequalled human being and some degree of struggle, imperfection, or weakness had been taken into consideration, the story would have been more credible. While the outcome is the same, it gives the character more dimension and, in the process, a hint of realism.
Although the movie doesn’t offer much attention to its female characters, I find it to be a tremendous relief because, unlike its predecessors, it doesn’t overtly denigrate or objectify them. Despite mainly relying on visual effects and action sequences to create a larger-than-life cinematic experience, the film’s powerful background score serves as its backbone. The narrative is mythologically inspired and attempts to depict the realities of an unjust society, but up until the very end, it all feels disjointed because it tries to accomplish a little too much and introduces undeveloped perspectives that should have been ignored entirely. The movie tries to be an adrenaline rush, but in doing so, it becomes involved with a lot of things that it doesn’t know how to manage or how to take them.
Even though Vikrant Rona has flaws and weak spots, the combination of tension and horror keeps you on the edge and makes it fascinating to watch, even if it isn’t very compelling or convincing.
