Amitabh Bachchan knows how to get under the skin of the character he’s playing on screen. In 2009, he did it with Paa and in 2010, he’s doing it for Ram Gopal Varma’s keenly awaited Rann in which he plays Vijay Harshwardhan Malik, a media baron in search of a balanced equilibrium between news and sensationalism.
The movie that revolves around the state of media today, takes an entertainingly hard look at the way news is being presented and consumed. Not surprising then that Bachchan donned the mantle of a newscaster and relayed all the leading events that made 2009 the year it was. He does it in his inimitable deep baritone coupled with his intense dramatic style of delivery.
This is a first of its kind initiative taken by the producers of Rann, taking programming integration to a new level of synergy. While most actors today are seen talking nine to a dozen about their upcoming projects every time a release is around the corner, the Bachchan-anchored news capsule rounding up the top news of 2009 (Rahman’s Oscar victory, Mumbai’s terror attacks, etc.) is a unique way of presenting the real essence of the film
A number of television channels have been given this 30-minute long capsule to play closer to the release of the film on January 29.
From playing a deaf-mute trainer, a genie and a 12 year old, Amitabh Bachchan’s repertoire of characters is perhaps the richest any actor has managed in India. The audience world over will surely lap up the new ‘angry old man’ avatar in Rann with the same enthusiasm!
