Ram Gopal Varma’s Rann completed 15 years on January 29. The film, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Paresh Rawal, Kiccha Sudeep, Mohnish Bahl, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, among others, received favourable reviews but it couldn’t do much at the box office. However, in the years to follow, it developed a following after its television and OTT runs. This might be because the film tackles the menace of fake news, which was hardly there 15 years ago but is very much in our faces in today’s times.
15 years of Rann EXCLUSIVE: Riteish Deshmukh says, “It spoke about dangers of managed media much before it became so evident and obvious”
In an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama, Riteish Deshmukh said that he rates Rann very high in his filmography. “Rann was an extremely important film for me,” he said. “It definitely spoke about dangers of managed media much before it became so evident and obvious. I rate it highly as I got to reunite with RGV and got to share screen with Amit ji once again under his direction. Also, I met Kiccha Sudeep on the set and eventually made a friend for life.”
Rann told the story of Vijay Harshvardhan Malik (Bachchan), who heads a news channel in an honest manner even though it affects its viewership. His once protégé Amrish Kakkar (Mohnish Bahl) now runs a successful news channel through dishonest means. The young and upcoming journalist Purab Shastri (Deshmukh), an ardent follower of Vijay, joins his channel. Vijay’s son Jay (Sudeep) wants his father to change his tactics but in vain. Hence, he joins evil forces, headed by the power hungry opposition leader Mohan Pandey (Paresh Rawal), and runs a fake news about the current Indian Prime Minister Hooda in order to topple his government.
Sharing what attracted him the most in Rann, Deshmukh said, “It was based on media and the fact that it can be weaponised. And also, it just takes one voice to have the guts to tell the truth as is.”
Over the last few years, there has been a lot of talk online about whether Rann would have succeeded at the box office if it had released today. When Deshmukh was asked this, he said, “Every film has its own destiny. No one can say which film will work and when will it work.”
As far as preparing for the role of a young and honest journalist is concerned, just spending time with Ram Gopal Varma was enough for Deshmukh. “He is a master story teller,” he said. “He just wants to capture the emotions of characters, their motives, their growth and progression with respect to the story.”
Deshmukh had a ball shooting with RGV and Bachchan. “Amit ji is my all-time favourite actor,” he said. “He is just an awesome co-actor. We are just blessed as co actors to witness greatness. RGV gave me my first opportunity to work with him in Darna Zaroori Hai and then again in Rann.”
Rann reaches its highest point in the climax when Bachchan’s character gives a moving monologue on TV. The scene is also known for Deshmukh emoting purely through expressions. “We just had to see Amit ji spin magic in his monologue,” he said. “I was present during the shoot. That made it easy for me. Just watching Amit ji perform is a blessing. I didn’t have much to do, I just reacted to what he said.”
As Rann dealt with the issue of fake news, which is more relevant now, Ritesh gave a message to his fans regarding the same saying, “We are living in a world where now it’s becoming overtly difficult to differentiate between the truth and manipulation. We just need to be more aware and make our own assessment. Be less dependent on other’s opinions.”
Also Read: Riteish Deshmukh pays tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on 395th birth anniversary; watch
More Pages: Rann Box Office Collection
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