Movie Review: Killing Veerappan

When I watch a phenomenal film after film from Hollywood that’s based on true events and personalities, I cringe at the thought of the kind of movies, Indian film industry usually makes. But that has been changing in the last year. There have been films like Manjhi, and upcoming films like Airlift and Neeraja that hold a lot of promise.

Killing Veerappan is one such kind of film that I back to my bones. There are so many stories in India that are waiting to be told and one such story is off the bucket list, thanks to Ram Gopal Varma.

Killing Veerappan is an intense, absorbing and chilling account of the successful operation to kill Veerapan. Ram Gopal Varma finally, inspite of trying hard to limit the movie to a mediocre film, seems to have by mistake, due to his immense natural talent for film making, made a cult classic.

For the first 15 or 20 odd minutes of the film, the cinematography and the shoddy camera work make it look like a badly made Crime Patrol Television sequence, but that phase is quickly passed off and RGV gets into his element.

The screenplay of the film is so riveting that RGV ties us to every scene with excitement and suspense.  The loud background score sometimes fits the bill perfectly and adds to the chills and cinematic experience, but sometimes, thankfully only a few times at the beginning of the film, falls flat and ridiculous.

The actor who portrayed Veerappan does an exceedingly good job as the lean, brutal, big moustache sporting bandit. But it is Shivraj Kumar who plays the role of top cop, the brain behind the operation that steals the show. He is portrayed almost as brutally as Veerappan himself. The movie covers not just a single operation but couple of other failed operations that preceded it. It also established the brutality of Veerappan quite early in the movie and sets the tone up.

The movie is fast paced, raw and absolute thrilling. It is a must watch! I think RGV has to be one of the finest film makers ever though he tries so hard to be not. But give the man a good story, concept, and this is what he can make. It is such a treat to watch RGV deliver.

Value for buck: 150/150 (Paisa Vasool entertainment)
Rating: 4/5