Payal Rajput stars in the cop thriller Rakshana which has been directed by Prandeep Thakore. The film made headlines as Payal Rajput had issues with the makers for not paying her full fee. So, she skipped the promotions, but the makers have gone ahead and released the film today June 7, 2024. Let’s review the cop thriller here.
Story
Kiran(Payal Rajput) gets devastated when her close friend dies by suicide right in front of her eyes. As time passes by, Kiran becomes an IPS officer and starts investigating the case. She nabs a man(Manas) in relation to the case, but he, too, dies by suicide. The department suspends Kiran from her duties. In the meantime, Kiran finds out that a psycho killer is on the loose, and he is the one behind the killings. How she manages to nab him is the story of Rakshana.
What about onscreen performances?
Payal Rajput plays a cop for the first time in her career. All these days, we have seen her in bold roles, but she impresses as a cop. Her screen presence as a cop and the way she performs actions and showcases emotions were quite good.
Vindod Bala, who plays a key role in the film, was impressive. The other actor, Roshan, who plays the main villain, is also neat in his character. He gets good scope to showcase his performance.
What about off-screen talents?
One of the biggest drawbacks of the film is the production values. As the film has been rushed to wrap up its shoot and post-produced, the output is not that great.
The visuals are old school, and one surely gets a feeling that you are watching a very old and outdated film. But the visuals in the second half, especially the climax, are good.
The background score of Rakshana is neat and enchants the audience. The scenes are elevated properly, and the thrills in the second half are quite gripping.
The writing is decent, as the film highlights a unique concept of jealousy toward women. This aspect is new and brings a fresh feeling to the audience.
The narration in the first half was horrible. Routine scenes of murder and investigation are showcased, and this bores the audience big time in the film.
Things get serious in the last half an hour when the writing takes the cake. The thrills showcased during this time hold your attention until the end. The screenplay should have been a bit better to make things cool.
The special aspect of the film is Payal Rajput’s showcase in a new avatar. If you see the film from that angle and ignore the quality, the thrills are decent.
What’s Hot?
- Basic conflict point
- Payal Rajput’s new avatar
- Last twenty minutes
What’s Not?
- Production values
- First half
- Lack of popular actors
Verdict
Overall, Rakshana is a psychological thriller with a good second half. But to enjoy it, the first half needs to be tolerated. If you manage to do this, Payal Rajput’s performance and the social message shown will engage you to some extent.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.5/5