Stunt choreographer-turned-director Ravi Verma has shown his ability of weaving together various characters that reside in his mind to come up with a visual treat. In Rustum, Ravi Verma lends his characters individuality, making them go through pain, love, anger and bouts of laughter and shrewdness as well. In his convincing manner, he tries to make each character live the trait in a consistent, yet realistic way.
The towering presence of Shivarajkumar aside, Rustum clearly also reflects the effort put in by the first-time director, who has oodles of ambition. The film narrates a familiar story. Abhishek Bhargav (Shivarajkumar) is a man who shifts to a new place on rent with his family. As he tries to settle down, he realises that his neighbour’s son an IAS officer, has been missing. Trying to help out, Abhishek gets entangled in the case and is sent to jail. As the story progresses, the audience realises the real identity of Abhishek, his beliefs about law, his internal conflicts and the revenge he is seeking.
With the right dose of romance and a little comedy thrown in, the action runs to the brim in Rustum. Ravi Verma has cleverly analysed the kind of entertainment Shivarajkumar’s fans expect and he does not disappoint. Without taking risks in this venture, the director provides generous helpings of Shivanna’s scenes and sticks to the formula. Sprinkled with suspense, the family action drama has a predictable ending, however, with good triumphing over evil.
Fans still remember Shivarajkumar as a cop in Tagaru, and he continues to impress in Rustum too. His heavy lurking screen presence is established with a high energy performance, as his actions and emotions showcase his increasing maturity as an actor. Shraddha Srinath and Mayuri play their parts with flair, and Vivek Oberoi, who appears in a pivotal role, offers the main sentimental sequence along with Rachita Ram who appears in a cameo.
Rustum has a diverse star cast, including J Mahendran, Mahesh Uthaman, Ganesh Yadav and Arjun Gowda who makes their presence felt with important characters. Anoop Seelin brings the right tunes and the required songs for a commercial entertainer while cameraman Mahendra Simha captures beautiful aerial shots of the various locations in the country.Overall, Rustum is a good attempt by the first time director and it will definitely impress Shivarajkumar’s fans.
Movie: Rustum Director:Ravi Verma Cast:Shivarajkumar, Shraddha Srinath and Vivek Oberoi Rating: 3/5 stars |