PremiumRakshana Review - The Payal Rajput starrer starts poorly but ends on a gripping note
Rakshana Review - Payal Rajput plays an IPS officer in this psycho thriller which has an ordinary first half and an interesting last half an hour.
Payal Rajput in Rakshana 2024
Last Updated: 05.46 PM, Jun 07, 2024
Rakshana Story
Kiran(Payal Rajput)'s friend commits suicide in front of her eyes. A heartbroken Kiran approaches the cops, stating that there is someone behind her death. The cops close the case and disperse Kiran. Years later, Kiran becomes an IPS officer and starts investigating the same case. She then comes across Arun(Manas), whom she doubts is the one behind her friend's suicide. To her shock, even Arun commits suicide and leaves Kiran with deeper problems. Kiran's higher official suspects Kiran in Arun's murder and suspends her. If this was not enough, more women would keep dying one after the other. How will a suspended cop handle this case is the basic story of the film.
Rakshana Review
If Kajal Aggarwal played an IPS officer in her latest release, Satyabhama, yet another popular heroine, Payal Rajput also turns a top cop in today's(June 7, 2024) release Rakshana. If Satyabhama was an investigative thriller, Rakshana is about a psycho killer on the loose. But the manner in which Rakshana is narrated is a bit different.
Here, the makers discuss a unique subject that is not spoken about in much detail. The backbone of the film is a psycho killer going after girls for a crazy purpose. Though the story idea is good, director Prandeep Thakore narrates the first half of Rakshana in a very ordinary manner.
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The girls getting killed, cops searching for a faceless killer without a major twist being revealed, and the interval block coming in—all these aspects are some of the drawbacks in the first Rakshana. The narration is dull and does not showcase anything new during this time. But once the second half starts, things turn on their heads, and the thrills become interesting.
The director Prandee,p does not waste time and goes back in time and showcases what made the psycho killer behave like that in the first place. The scenes related to this aspect are quite gripping in the narrative. Also, as Payal Rajput is seen in an intense role for the first time, things become even more interesting for the audience.
The last half-hour of Rakshana is one of the highlights, as scenes between the killer and Payal Rajput are executed in a very gripping manner. Also, the way the cops investigate and deal with psycho killers is showcased in a very interesting manner.
Coming to the performances, Payal Rajput springs a surprise in her role as a cop. All these days, we are used to seeing her in bold roles, but in Rakshana, she plays an honest cop with ease. When it comes to action and emotional scenes, Payal has done well. Roshan, who played the main villain, is also very good in the film. Though he goes a bit overboard in his role during the start, he comes to terms with his character and does a great job.
The film's production values are not that great, and that is shown through the visuals. More care should have been taken when it came to production design. The background score is amazing and is the saving force in the film.
Finally, the message that one should not get jealous of a woman being on top of her game is showcased in a good manner. Rakshana is a film that starts on a very dull and boring note. But once the second half starts, things become interesting and hold our attention till the end.
Rakshana Verdict
On the whole, Rakshana is half half-baked psycho-thriller, which clicks only in the second half. If more care would have been taken in the initial parts of the film, the output would have been a lot different. The second half is amazing and has good thrills. But to savor all this, one needs to sit through the lethargic and boring first half.