Rangeela Raja
Starring Govinda & Govinda, Shakti Kapoor, Govind Namdeo
It is karma hooting dharma, albeit with a cruel whoop of taunting joy, that the once-flourishing flamboyant and quite simply fantastic Govinda returns to form in a double role, one of which requires him to play the decadent debauch to the hilt.
In one devastating sequence of sexual violation, one of the many starlets who walk through the film in skimpy blouses and little else, is raped by the villainous Govinda and then offered anti-pregnancy pills.Just to be safe.
And no sorry, no thank you.
Which is really thoughtful of him, From now on, if a shady man is caught with those pills in his pocket you know what he has on his mind.
The villainous Govinda as Rangeela Raja sows wild oats at a rapid rate. He hits on any woman below 30, invites them to sit on his lap and massage his back,watches porn on the laptop while pretending to his wife to be enjoying dharmic music, in brief (and out of it) does anything that the MeToo movement would consider a sex crime.
The younger Govinda Ajay is up to his neck with Bade Bhaiyya’s lascivious antics. To teach him a lesson, Ajay pretends to marry the rape survivor whose violation generates no regret in the leery Vijay.These fugitive tycoons, I tell you.
Govinda plays the randy tycoon with huge relish, thrusting his pelvis suggestively into the camera, treating his demure god-fearing wife with supreme disdain. This man is meant to be despicable and Govinda makes no bones about it. It takes a fearless actor to play a filthy, rich debauch with such unapologetic pleasure.The wacky laughter which goes , ‘Hah Hah hah’ like Utpal dutt on speed, makes Govinda’s evil designs seem perversely pauranic.This a Ravan in Elton John’s clothes.
The twin comes across as puny and wimpish in comparison. He is a foreign-returned yoga guru being pursued by a starlet in clothes stolen from Zeenat Aman in Satyam Shivum Sunderam while she was bathing under that waterfall.
In one sequence godman Govinda raises his holy stick towards the lady and warns her of the consequences of his danda getting out of hand. The CBFC of course knows there is no double entendre in the danda.
Uncontrollable urges command the extravagant excesses of Rangeela Raja,a bawdy burlesque of a comedy where the relentless focus is on the two Govindas, both fun to watch in an earthy desi daru kind of spirit. The rest of the cast makes no attempt to keep up with Govinda’s comic timing and his sense of fun as he negotiates situations and dialogues which would make any other actor look like a sleazeball.
There are three or four debutante heroines to accompany Govinda in his raunchy romp through the risqué route in Rangeela Raja. Let’s just say, none of these ladies are ever likely to be seen again. But Govinda….ah, Govinda! He proves that in the journey from Raja Babu to Rangeela Raja, the flesh may have grown flabby, but spirit remains in high mast.
