‘Rangrezz’ Review Roundup: Mixed Reaction From Critics

"Rangrezz" is film based on friendship starring Jackky Bhagnani, Priya Anand, Rajpal Yadav and Amitosh Nagpal in the lead roles. It's a remake of 2009 Tamil hit film "Naadodigal."

The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics upon release.

Here is what critics have to say:

Subhash K Jha of IANS said: "It's been a while since Priyadarshan made us sit up and watch in rapt attention. Visually and in terms of the content, Rangrezz is his best work in years. 

"In what must rank as one of the most gripping elopement sequences written in the history of celluloid courtship, three friends, who look like they've walked out of Kai Po Che! when Chetan Bhagat was not looking, get together to abduct a powerful minister's daughter from a crowded temple to unite her with their lovelorn friend. 

"Full marks to the action director for cutting to the chase without negotiating a single faltering step in the way the drama unfolds. 

"This has to be the most gripping elopement drama in the history of Indian cinema with a very strong message on that overrated emotion called love. Cupid's arrow has never struck a more deadly blow. 

"Go for it. The rebellious boys' club of Rangrezz is every bit as meritorious as its counterpart in Kai Po Che!."

Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times said: "Rangrezz is an over-wrought melodrama that has stray moments of power but is ultimately too convoluted to be convincing. Jackky Bhagnani plays Rishi, a lower-middle-class boy from Mumbai who drives to Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh to help a friend unite with his girlfriend. Rishi and his two friends kidnap her (with her consent), marry them in a temple and dispatch them to Goa. Both the girl and boy have powerful parents - one's mother is a politician, the other's father an industrialist - but their henchmen cannot prevent any of this. Clearly, the UP badlands aren't as deadly as they used to be.

"Rangrezz is a remake of Tamil film Naadodigal, and the best thing about it is an unexpected twist in the plot. The film also has some heavyweight names attached, including Santosh Sivan (cinematography) and Sabu Cyril (production design), so it has a certain moodiness and polish.

"Director Priyadarshan attempts to create a gritty ode to friendship, but ends up with a film that isn't bad but doesn't sparkle."

Ravina Rawal of Firstpost said: "If I could pick a trio of men to be on my side in life, I'd probably go with Rishi, Winu and Pakya. The three best friends in Priyadarshan's  Rangrezz are fiercely protective of one another, and believe that friends are like family-frequently switching between the role of a brother, father, sister, mother.

"Because they are three boys, and this movie is all about friendship (I think), one cannot help but go back to last month's charming Kai Po Che. Except that Rangrezz is a lot more aggressive than that. And while on paper we know that these three boys are super close, they're missing that unmistakably warm camaraderie the KPC boys shared; or at least there isn't enough of it to explain a lot of their choices and reactions through the film.

"The story and its presentation - though some scenes are slickly shot - borders on the bizarre. Then there's the acting, for which props can only be given with a clear conscience to Vijay Verma, who is pretty wonderful. Anand doesn't get enough screen time to make an impact, and Nagpal's character doesn't require much of a performance. Bhagnani delivers an average performance, indicating that his father and producer of this film (and all the others he's acted in thus far) Vashu Bhagnani is going to have to maybe bail him out with another couple of films before he flies from his coop."

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama said: "RANGREZZ narrates the story of three friends who attempt to unite another friend with his lady-love. In the process, each of them loses something precious. Consequently, the trio gets a rude shock when they realize that the hardships they encountered to unite the lovers has proved meaningless, as the lovers decide to go separate ways owing to differences. 

"Like all Priyadarshan movies, RANGREZZ has been filmed very well, although I wish to add, the director's newer lot of movies, for some reason, appear like a diluted version of his earlier accomplished works. There's no denying that Priyadarshan is an incredible storyteller and a major part of the first hour has his by-now-famous stamp, but how one wishes the second hour was as captivating. 

"On the whole, RANGREZZ has an impressive first half, but loses focus in the post-interval portions. One definitely expected more!"