Sentimental family fare

Ranna

Kannada (U/A)***

Director: Nanda Kishore

Cast: Kichcha Sudeep, Rachita Ram, Haripriya, Madhoo, Prakash Raj, Devraj

Lavishly mounted and stylishly executed, Ranna is Kichcha Sudeep’s savvy show all the way. With Zurich as a pretext, Ranna plays out right in namma Bengaluru, and has audiences in awe.

A remake, Ranna, is an emotive family drama whose teary-eyed climax at Kengeri Railway Station provides perfect ‘platform’ for the final patch-up between estranged kin. Though Ranna boasts of better production values, it, however, is a woeful letdown, with emphasis on unmitigated violence and lacklustre comedy. Minus these and pruned by half hour, Ranna would be a winner.

Ranna has Bhaskar Chandra flying down to Bengaluru from Zurich at the behest of his grandfather Sharath Chandra. Told as flashback by Rukmini, Ranna is about how Bhaskar saves his aristocratic aunt Saraswathi’s husband Prakash from heart attack and sets base in their house masquerading as a driver.

His mission is to convince his estranged aunt Saraswathi (who married lawyer Prakash much against her dad’s diktat) to reconcile with her father on death bed, who wishes to patch up. How Bhaskar goes about fulfilling his pledge and where and how the rapprochement takes place forms the pivot of Ranna.

Playing the titular role, Sudeep towers tall, both as a romantic beau and a swashbuckling do-gooder, swatting all like flies. Madhoo, of Roja fame, is perfect coveting you as Saraswathi. Others are props for Sudeep to play to the gallery, which he does to the hilt, with fans lustfully cheering his exploits. 

Besides the Thithili Thithili song colourfully choreographed and melodiously rendered, Harikrishna’s score is quite hard on the ears. If foxed by What to do, What not to do, as goes another song, take a chance and Ranna may surprise you. Of course, you exit with a bitter afterthought if only it was better polished, whose flashes of promise flit by like sparks of lightning.