New Delhi: While the industry is going gaga over the Riteish Deshmukh's reel makeover in the recent 'Ek Villain', it is important for everyone to know that they are just happy that he is not dressed in drag in yet another film.
Such is the situation in our country that average performances and films are celebrated and pronounced 'path breaking' because they tend to shine out from the usual muck (read:films) that Bollywood churns out on regular basis.
Note: There are spoilers in the story. In case you haven't watched the film yet, please come back to this story later.
Mohit Suri's 'Ek Villain' isn't the path breaking and one gets to know the plot at the interval itself. So it is only edgy till that moment when you know who is the killer. But the reason why Suri's film is worth a watch is simply for its casting- that each actor is quite apt in his or her role barring a stray Remo Fernandez who just appears in three scenes in whole of the film. It also lets Riteish Deshmukh play a man not trying to dress up as a woman, for a change.
As the creepy, submissive, frustrated middle class Rakesh, Riteish Deshmukh surprises one and all because viewers have become so used to seeing him slapstick comedy year after year that any role or any other film of the actor which is not from that genre seems refreshing. Don't get me wrong, Deshmukh is definitely very convincing as the serial killer who kills women to vent his frustration over his bad marriage and nagging wife. But Deshmukh merely rises above the mediocrity. 'Ek Villain' isn't a path breaking film and neither is Deshmukh's role.
He tries to put up a convincing act. But as a serial killer he isn't spine chilling like Ashutosh Rana was in 'Sangharsh' or 'Dushman'. There are only certain moments in the film where the level of his madness is reflected. And there, the actor emotes perfectly. But it is not enough. He shines through out the film but somehow it doesn't stay with you once the film is over. But that perhaps is due to a poor script which has several loopholes and almost gives up in the second half.
It is also brings an important point that how we keep putting actors in certain brackets in our film industry. Once a particular genre works for an actor, more such films are offered and the actors tend to get typecast. So when he does come out his so called comfort zone, and just does a regular average role, it turns out to be a surprise package of the film. If the film (experiment) fails, the actor usually goes back to doing the same sort of roles for which he became popular. The audience may reject him in his new avatar but they would not mind seeing him doing the same old role on the screen time and again. Such is our society.
Does Riteish Deshmukh outshine in 'Ek Villain'? He sure does, but somehow one feels there is much more of the actor which is yet to be tapped. Maybe someone else like Mohit Suri will be brave enough to cast the 'comic' actor in another hatke role soon. Till then let's celebrate the a notch above the average.
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