Rakta Charitra 2

Rakta Charitra 2
Theatrical release poster in Telugu
Directed byRam Gopal Varma
Written byPrashant Pandey
Produced byMadhu Mantena
Chinna Vasudeva Reddy
Sheetal Vinod Talwar
Starring
Narrated byRam Gopal Varma
CinematographyAmol Rathod
Edited byNipun Ashok Gupta
Music by
Production
companies
RGV Film factory
Cinergy
Release date
  • 3 December 2010 (2010-12-03)
Running time
130 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguagesTelugu
Hindi

Rakta Charitra 2 (transl. Blood Letter 2) is a 2010 Indian political action thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Prashant Pandey. Based on the life of Paritala Ravindra, the film is a direct sequel to Rakta Charitra which released two months earlier.[1] The film features an ensemble cast of Vivek Oberoi, Suriya, Sudeep, Shatrughan Sinha, Priyamani, Radhika Apte, Zarina Wahab, Ajaz Khan, and Ashish Vidyarthi. Shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi, with the latter titled Rakht Charitra 2, the film was released on 3 December 2010 and received mixed reviews from critics. Despite emerging as a commercial faliure, the film has gained cult status and is regarded as one of Varma's best works. It was dubbed and released in Tamil as Raththa Sarithiram in March 2011, with somes scenes reshot.[2]

Plot

The film opens with a recap of the previous installment, depicting how Pratap Ravi avenged the murders of his father and brother and rose to power with the support of Chief Minister Shivaji Rao. As Pratap Ravi’s influence spreads across Andhra Pradesh, Yeturi Suryanarayana Reddy, known as Surya, seeks revenge for the killing of his family. Surya attempts to assassinate Pratap Ravi by bombing his convoy, but the attempt fails, and he narrowly escapes capture.

Determined to strike again, Surya surrenders to the police under DCP Dasari Mohan Prasad, ostensibly for protection while secretly plotting another attempt. During a court appearance, he survives an assassination attempt orchestrated by Pratap Ravi and kills the attacker in front of the judge. He is subsequently imprisoned. In jail, Surya recounts how his family was killed in a bomb blast ordered by Pratap Ravi, strengthening his resolve for vengeance. Despite repeated attempts on his life inside the prison, Surya survives and refuses Pratap Ravi’s offer of a truce.

Opposition leader Krishnaswamy advises Surya that, to defeat Pratap Ravi, he must surpass him politically. At Surya’s urging, his wife Bhavani contests the elections, threatening Pratap Ravi’s position. Amid rising tensions and failed attempts to eliminate Bhavani, Surya devises a final plan. Exploiting the confusion during a high-level political meeting, he orchestrates an attack and fatally shoots Pratap Ravi before secretly returning to prison with the help of a complicit prison warden.

Muddu Krishna takes responsibility for the murder, protecting Surya. Mohan Prasad later warns Surya that the same circumstances that created Pratap Ravi could transform him as well, but Surya insists he will not follow that path. The film concludes with Pratap Ravi’s widow, Nandini, watching Surya deliver a televised election speech while holding her child.

Cast

Soundtrack

Rakta Charitra 2
Soundtrack album by
Imran-Vikram, Dharam-Sandeep, Sukhwinder Singh, and Amar Desai
Released2010
Recorded2010
GenreFilm soundtrack
Length23:11
LabelT-Series
Hindi tracklist
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Patthar Ko"Sandeep SinghSukhwinder SinghSukhwinder Singh3:09
2."Khel Shuroo"VayuDharam-SandeepArmaan Malik, Shreekumar Vakkiyil4:03
3."Nagendra Haraya"Prashant PandeySukhwinder SinghSukhwinder Singh, Viveka4:02
4."Maar De" (Remix)Shabeer AhmedImran-VikramJojo6:04
5."Mila Toh" (Electro Mix)Shyamraj DuttaDharam-SandeepSandeep Patil, Ravindra Upadhay, Vishvesh Parmar3:48
6."Patthar Ko" (Theme Music) Sukhwinder SinghInstrumental2:05
Total length:23:11
Tamil tracklist[3]
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Sathathin Soodhattam"Tippu4:29
2."Thuninju Vettiven"Abishek Nailwal3:42
3."Manidham Yendra"Ravi4:20
4."Kollada"Tippu5:48
5."Kathigalin"Krishnaraj4:17
6."Karma Dharma"Vardhan, Aditi Paul3:08
7."Aattam Arrambam"Armaan Malik, Sreekumar3:33
8."Nagendra Haraya"Manikka Vinayagam4:00
9."Thottale Unnai"Manikka Vinayagam2:09
10."Kollada" (Remix)Tippu6:02
11."Thuninju Vettuven" (Remix)Tippu6:02
Total length:46:10

Reception

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave 3.5 out of 5, praising the film as a powerful, fast-paced, and intensely violent sequel directed by Ram Gopal Varma.[4] Renuka Rao of DNA India gave 3 stars in a scale of 5, concluding that "Watch it if you had watched the first part, but don't be surprised if you don't like this as much".[5] Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India gave 3 stars out of 5, stating that "Rakht Charitra doesn't break new ground like Satya and Company, nevertheless it remains a must-see film for Ramu fans."[6] Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express gave 2.5 stars out of 5, and wrote that "Like in the first part, RGV's intention is not so much to delve into the complexities of Andhra politics, which stay firmly in the backdrop, but to create sequences where death is choreographed in varying ways. After a point, you are oblivious to the gore. But you cannot, at any point, bypass Suriya : he has eyes that speak. Bollywood is ready for him".[7]

NDTV gave 2 out of 5 stars writing "Suriya saves the film from being a total loss. His expressive eyes have a quiet strength and his presence sears the screen".[8] The Economic Times gave 3 out of 5 stars stating "The sequel carries forward the tale of power and revenge which exploded in Rakht Charitra 1".[9] Rediff gave 1.5 out of 5 stars stating "RGV doesn't have anything new to offer in Rakht Charitra 2. The film does have some high points but they are too few to keep you engaged".[10]

Accolades

Year Award Category Recipient Notes
2011 Screen Awards Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male Suriya [11]
2011 Stardust Awards Stardust Award for Superstar of Tomorrow – Male Suriya [12]

References

  1. ^ "Rakht Charitra 2: Bloody Bore". Rediff. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Ratha Sarithiram". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2012. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Ratha Sarithiram (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". 31 October 2010. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Rakht Charitra II Review". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Review: Rakht Charitra II fails to live up to expectation". DNA India. DNA. Archived from the original on 11 January 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Rakta Charitra II Times of India Review". Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  7. ^ Gupta, Shubhra (3 December 2010). "Movie review: Rakht Charitra 2". Indian Express. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Moview Review: Rakht Charitra 2". NDTV Movies. 7 March 2014. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  9. ^ "Movie Review: Rakta Charitra 2". The Economic Times. 4 December 2010. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Rakht Charitra 2: Bloody Bore". Rediff. 3 December 2010. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Nominations for 17th Annual Star Screen Awards 2011". OneIndia. 3 January 2011. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  12. ^ "Check out: Bangistan actors Pulkit Samrat, Jacqueline Fernandez and Riteish Deshmukh lunch together : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. 13 August 2014. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011.