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Star Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, Shalini Pandey, Piyush Mishra, Chunky Panday, Amit Sial, Manu Rishi Chadha, Sumit Gulati
Director: Vipul Vig
What’s Good: The plot and the concept. The chemistry between Pulkit and Varun remains as reliable!
What’s Bad: The second half and the climax!
Loo Break:Â Interval or post that!
Watch or Not?: Yes, for the concept!
Language: Hindi
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 2 hours 20 minutes
User Rating:
Before I start discussing this film, here is a confession – I am a believer. I believe in good and bad Karma. I believe, as you sow, so you reap! I believe whatever goes around comes around, and I believe that stars and planets impact us. Here is a more honest confession! I did not believe in this stuff till a few months back, but the shift gradually happened, and now I am skeptical at times, but I cannot help but believe in all this stuff! So, when Rahu Ketu was announced, I was more than interested in this film, since I am a Taurus, I am channeled by Ketu, the headless one!
Helmed by Vipul Vig, the film is a modern and adventurous take on mythology meets astrology. It takes a very good effort in setting the tone of the film in the first 10 minutes with Piyush Mishra, narrating us the tale of the two celestial bodies. The entire story is narrated in a well-versed theatrical manner, starting from Samudra Manthan, making us fully aware of the backstory, before we dive into the premise!
Rahu Ketu attempts a daring feat: taking the most feared shadow planets of Vedic astrology and turning them into a heist-comedy duo. To understand why this film matters and where it falters, one must first understand the ancient lore it seeks to modernize, and for that, one has to sit patiently for the first 15 minutes of the film!
Rahu Ketu Movie Review: Script Analysis
Vipul Vig turns mythology into a buddy comedy dynamic but blends it through a mystery book. The book is magical, and whatever is written turns out to be the gospel truth. Taking this as the premise, Manur Rishi, who plays a writer, creates two characters, Rahu and Ketu. Rahu, played by Varun Sharma, is the planner, the visionary, and the one driven by insatiable greed. He is the Head of the operation. He sees the world through the lens of ambition but often ignores the karmic consequences.
Meanwhile, Rahu is always associated with Ketu, played by Pulkit Samrat, the one who suffers the bad luck. In astrology, Ketu is often associated with karmic debts and headless accidents. What happens next as the story gets written by the writer and what happens when the owner of the book changes, becomes the entire premise of the film!
Rahu Ketu Movie Review: Star Performance
Pulkit Samrat plays the Ketu to his Choocha with his usual charm. He is suave, energetic, and carries the hero mantle well. He literally tries to hold the script and offers gags throughout this situational comedy! Varun Sharma does the innocent-but-buffoonish act with such ease that it’s hard to stay mad at the flaws when Puklit and Varun are on screen.
Shalini Pandey unfortunately does not hold up to the character, and the film starts falling apart with her loosely written character in the second half! Amit Sial’s deadpan delivery provides a much-needed groundedness to this chaotic comedy, while Manu Rishi proves once again that he can make anything work in his favor!
Piyush Mishra is a delight, bringing his signature eccentric energy. Every time he speaks, you’re reminded of the theatrical brilliance he possesses, even if the material is beneath him.
Chunky Panday as the eccentric villain does not work at all! Sumit Gulati shines in his limited screen time, proving he is one underrated actor in the business today.
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Rahu Ketu Movie Review: Direction, Music
The direction is functional but lacks a distinct voice. The film is bright and peppy, but it lacks the flair this subject should have. More so with such an interesting plot! The music is a generic club banger that does not work, but the background score is brilliant, especially the Rahu Ketu and the Paapi chunks! The pacing is uneven. While the first half builds the cosmic mystery well, but the second half collapses under the weight of its own ambition.
The film uses astrology and tries to frame the heist not just as a crime, but as deeds that would impact Karma. This is where mythology meets modern cynicism, but it does not translate well! The film forgets what it was aiming for by the time it reaches the climax and ends unceremoniously with a promise of a sequel!
Rahu Ketu Movie Review: The Last Word
Rahu Ketu succeeds when it treats its protagonists as two halves of a broken whole, but it fails when it uses astrology merely as a flavor rather than a driving narrative force. Honestly, with a weak second half, it turns into a film that has the Head that is Rahu for a great idea, but lacks the Ketu that is the body to carry it to a satisfying finish. And that is what changes the entire dasha and disha of the film.
3 stars for the brilliant plot! I so wish it could have channeled into something more interesting in the second half! This could be a very good play (Theater lovers would agree, I hope)!
Rahu Ketu Trailer
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