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MAIN AUR CHARLES
ABOUT MAIN AUR CHARLES
Film Main Aur Charles is worthy to watch once for Randeep Hooda’s soulful act.
Biopics can go either way, depending on the fame of the person being essayed. Serial killer Charles Sobhraj, on whom the movie is based, was known to deceive with his charismatic personality, enough to conquer even the sharpest of minds. Randeep Hooda, who plays Sobhraj in the movie, manages to look the part, right from the tweed caps down to the Oxfords. But Hooda's engagement with his character is only as deep as his 70s-style pattern suits.
Movies made about real life baddies always make for a fascinating watch, provided the director treats the subject with the honesty it deserves. Considering the fact that Charles Sobhraj is one of India's most notorious crooks, it was but natural that a movie about his exploits would be made, though doing it justice remains a different matter altogether.
The film opens to 1968 Thailand, a bikini-clad corpse is fished out of a beach. Forensics report that she had overdosed on drugs. The one responsible is identified as Charles (Randeep Hooda), a man with many names, even more passports and three intermeshed accents — French, Nepali and pretentious. Starring Randeep Hooda as the enigmatic con-man/killer Charles, Main Aur Charles chronicles the escapades of a criminal mastermind, who always keeps a step ahead of the law enforcement machinery and manipulates the system, even when he is arrested and imprisoned.
The movie deals with how everyone who comes in contact with Charles, falls prey to his rakish charms except righteous cop Amod Kanth (Adil Hussain), who proves to be Sobhraj's opponent. The movie also throws light on the efforts of Mira Sharma (Richa Chadda), a law student, who falls for Charles, to the extent of conspiring to break him out of prison so that she can marry him in Paris.
Randeep Hooda is simply impressive as Charles and one can see that the actor has put his heart and soul in the role. His body language, his diction and his smug sneer is simply overwhelming and we are sure that the Haryanvi hunk will make for a good silver screen baddie. Adil Hussain as Kanth delivers a powerful act and his 'straight arrow' cop persona proves to be a perfect foil to his foe's 'devil may care' attitude.
Ram Gopal Varma's pupil Prawaal Raman, who has helmed this movie, deserves kudos for flawlessly capturing the serpentine charm of Charles and the effect he has on people, but the movie does upset on many fronts. In his enthusiasm to capture Sobhraj's magnetic aura, Raman fails to explore beyond the rakish façade and if you were expecting an attempt to gain an insight into the mind of a killer, who had captured people's imagination for years, you will be left wanting for more.
If Raman couldn't provide that, he could have at least come up with a script and a screenplay tight enough to make you bite your fingernails, but even that doesn't happen here as the movie seems more interested in focusing on Sobhraj's style and personality.
The background score is OK enough and the cinematography is quite worthy. The supporting cast has done decent job and the scenes involving the investigation and the court proceedings are convincing enough.
Ovaerall, film Main Aur Charles is worthy to watch once for Randeep Hooda’s soulful act.
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