Rang Rasiya
Encyclopedia
Rang Rasiya is an Indian drama film
based on the life of the 19th century Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma
. The film is directed and co-produced by Ketan Mehta
, and stars Randeep Hooda
, Nandana Sen
and a newcomer Triptha Parashar in the lead roles.
(2005), Mehta chose to make a film on the 19th century painter, Raja Ravi Varma's life. Incidentally both these movies were based on a subject from the 19th century. His new film is an adaptation of a Marathi
writer Ranjit Desai
's biographical novel Raja Ravi Varma. This bilingual in English
and Hindi is titled as Colour of Passion and Rang Rasiyaa respectively. Mehta thought that Varma was the most fascinating artist of that era and his character, persona and paintings fascinated him from his days at Film and Television Institute of India
. After reading Desai's novel, he formulated the story of his new film.
When Mehta first met Nandana Sen
at her house, he saw two life-size reproductions of Raja Ravi Varma's paintings. This assured him that she was familiar with the artist and his works, and in turn his job as a director easier. Speaking of the character she was to portray, he said:
Speaking about her character, Sen said that "Varma saw in her (Sugandha) the face and soul of a goddess. (For him) she is passionate, possessive and hungry for love." To portray this character, Sen was required to dress and look like a young Maharashtrian
woman with long hair, light eyes, waist chain and a nose ring. In addition, she also gained five kilos for the character since she had to look voluptuous. She was helped with her familiarily with the physical patterns in Varma's paintings of women, such as, "the way they tilt their hip, the way they play with their hands. Though the film has a few scenes in which she had to expose, she chose to do it because she thought that the sensitive scene formed the story's basis. Although it was not an easy decision to take, she felt absolutely comfortable while performing the scene. One such scene is a wide angle shot that shows a bare breast of a skimpily clad Sen. Though this scene was aesthetically shot, the Central Board of Film Certification
, which regulates
the ratings and certification of media in India, objected to it and ordered for a review based on consensus.
Mehta saw Hooda's previous films Risk
and D
and he thought that he was a skillful actor. In this film, he played the role of Raja Ravi Varma in two phases — first as a 60-year old and then as a 20-year old in a span of 10 days. As a preparation for his role, Hooda tried to learn the basics of painting. He was happy working in the film and said that his acting skills were well-groomed by Mehta's filmmaking abilities.
Besides Hooda, since Mehta wanted to work with new faces, he introduced a Scottish
actress and another from India. Paresh Rawal
was also set to play an important role. Triptha Parashar, whom Mehta spotted in an advertisement, was immediately offered the role of a princess without audition
ing for the role. Ferena Wazier, who was born to Kashmiri
parents in Britain
, plays a Parsi
girl's role in the film.
Sangita Kathiwada debuted as the costume design
er for the film.
2. Jeena Nahi
3. O Maahi Maahiya
4. Luteya Re
5. Kambakht Pyar Tadpaaye
6. Rasiya Re
7. Aaja Mora Piya
8. Aaj Nachke Dikhane Ka Mausam Hai
.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
based on the life of the 19th century Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana...
. The film is directed and co-produced by Ketan Mehta
Ketan Mehta
Ketan Mehta is an Indian film director, who has also directed documentaries and television serials.-Early life and education:Born in Navsari in Gujarat, Ketan Mehta did his schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Delhi and later graduated in film direction from Film and Television Institute of...
, and stars Randeep Hooda
Randeep Hooda
Randeep Singh Hooda is an Indian actor who works in Bollywood films.-Early life:Hooda was born in the village of Jaseya in Rohtak district of Haryana. His mother, Asha Hooda, is a social worker and his father, Dr. Ranbir Hooda, is a surgeon by profession...
, Nandana Sen
Nandana Sen
-Early life:Sen was born in Kolkata, West Bengal to a Bengali Hindu family. She is the daughter of Nobel Laureate and Bharat Ratna economist Amartya Sen and Padma Shri winner Nabanita Dev Sen, one of the most prominent authors in the contemporary Bengali literature....
and a newcomer Triptha Parashar in the lead roles.
Production
After his last commercial cinema Mangal Pandey: The RisingMangal Pandey: The Rising
Mangal Pandey: The Rising or The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey is an Indian movie based on the life of Mangal Pandey, an Indian soldier who is known for his role in the Indian Mutiny of 1857. It is directed by Ketan Mehta, produced by Bobby Bedi, and with a screenplay by Farrukh Dhondy...
(2005), Mehta chose to make a film on the 19th century painter, Raja Ravi Varma's life. Incidentally both these movies were based on a subject from the 19th century. His new film is an adaptation of a Marathi
Marathi people
The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
writer Ranjit Desai
Ranjit Desai
Ranjit Desai was a Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India.He was born in 1928 in the town of Kowad in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.-Novels:* Bari* Maza Gav* Swami* Shriman Yogi* Radheya* Lakshya Wedh* Samidha...
's biographical novel Raja Ravi Varma. This bilingual in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Hindi is titled as Colour of Passion and Rang Rasiyaa respectively. Mehta thought that Varma was the most fascinating artist of that era and his character, persona and paintings fascinated him from his days at Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India , is an autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. It is fully aided by Central Government of India. It is situated in the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Film Company in Pune, India...
. After reading Desai's novel, he formulated the story of his new film.
Nandana Sen
-Early life:Sen was born in Kolkata, West Bengal to a Bengali Hindu family. She is the daughter of Nobel Laureate and Bharat Ratna economist Amartya Sen and Padma Shri winner Nabanita Dev Sen, one of the most prominent authors in the contemporary Bengali literature....
at her house, he saw two life-size reproductions of Raja Ravi Varma's paintings. This assured him that she was familiar with the artist and his works, and in turn his job as a director easier. Speaking of the character she was to portray, he said:
To me, she was the perfect woman to play the muse of an artist who sparked off debates about censorship of art. She has that child-woman quality, which was so much a part of Sugandha's personality.
Speaking about her character, Sen said that "Varma saw in her (Sugandha) the face and soul of a goddess. (For him) she is passionate, possessive and hungry for love." To portray this character, Sen was required to dress and look like a young Maharashtrian
Marathi people
The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
woman with long hair, light eyes, waist chain and a nose ring. In addition, she also gained five kilos for the character since she had to look voluptuous. She was helped with her familiarily with the physical patterns in Varma's paintings of women, such as, "the way they tilt their hip, the way they play with their hands. Though the film has a few scenes in which she had to expose, she chose to do it because she thought that the sensitive scene formed the story's basis. Although it was not an easy decision to take, she felt absolutely comfortable while performing the scene. One such scene is a wide angle shot that shows a bare breast of a skimpily clad Sen. Though this scene was aesthetically shot, the Central Board of Film Certification
Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification is a Government of India regulatory body and censorship board of India controlled by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It reviews, rates and censors motion pictures, television shows, television ads, and promotional material...
, which regulates
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
the ratings and certification of media in India, objected to it and ordered for a review based on consensus.
Mehta saw Hooda's previous films Risk
Risk (film)
Risk is a 2007 Bollywood movie directed by Vishram Sawant. It stars Randeep Hooda, Vinod Khanna, Tanushree Dutta, Zakir Hussain, Yashpal Sharma and Anant Jog in the lead roles. The movie is based on the Mumbai underworld...
and D
D (film)
D is an Indian crime drama and thriller film, directed by Vishram Sawant, written by Manish Gupta, and produced by Ram Gopal Varma and Ronnie Screwvala. It was released in India on June 3, 2005....
and he thought that he was a skillful actor. In this film, he played the role of Raja Ravi Varma in two phases — first as a 60-year old and then as a 20-year old in a span of 10 days. As a preparation for his role, Hooda tried to learn the basics of painting. He was happy working in the film and said that his acting skills were well-groomed by Mehta's filmmaking abilities.
Besides Hooda, since Mehta wanted to work with new faces, he introduced a Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
actress and another from India. Paresh Rawal
Paresh Rawal
Paresh Rawal is an Indian actor of Gujarati background.Making his film debut in 1984, he mainly played supporting and villain roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2000 he has mostly played comic roles.- Family and early life :...
was also set to play an important role. Triptha Parashar, whom Mehta spotted in an advertisement, was immediately offered the role of a princess without audition
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
ing for the role. Ferena Wazier, who was born to Kashmiri
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
parents in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, plays a Parsi
Parsi
Parsi or Parsee refers to a member of the larger of the two Zoroastrian communities in South Asia, the other being the Irani community....
girl's role in the film.
Sangita Kathiwada debuted as the costume design
Costume design
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
er for the film.
Cast
- Randeep HoodaRandeep HoodaRandeep Singh Hooda is an Indian actor who works in Bollywood films.-Early life:Hooda was born in the village of Jaseya in Rohtak district of Haryana. His mother, Asha Hooda, is a social worker and his father, Dr. Ranbir Hooda, is a surgeon by profession...
... Raja Ravi Varma - Nandana SenNandana Sen-Early life:Sen was born in Kolkata, West Bengal to a Bengali Hindu family. She is the daughter of Nobel Laureate and Bharat Ratna economist Amartya Sen and Padma Shri winner Nabanita Dev Sen, one of the most prominent authors in the contemporary Bengali literature....
... Sugandha - Triptha Parashar ...
- Tom AlterTom AlterTom Alter is an Indian actor of American origin. As a thespian and television actor, he is best known for his work in Bollywood, but has also worked in the theatre...
... - Vikram Gokhle ...
- Gaurav dwivediGaurav dwivediAn engineer turned actor, Gaurav Dwivedi is a graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India. Though active in theater from childhood, it was while doing his masters in engineering in Australia that Gaurav decided to pursue acting fulltime. He came back to India, joined FTII and indulged in...
...Raj Varma - Vipin SharmaVipin SharmaVipin Sharma is an Indian actor born in New Delhi. He is a graduate of National School of Drama, New Delhi, India and the Canadian Film Centre, Toronto, Canada. His first major role was as Nandakishore Avasti in Taare Zameen Par . For his role, he was nominated for a 2009 Star Screen Award for Best...
...Paachan - Sachin KhedekarSachin KhedekarSachin Khedekar is an Indian actor and director, best known for his roles in Astitva, Imtihaan, and as Netaji in Shyam Benegal's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero...
... - Paresh RawalParesh RawalParesh Rawal is an Indian actor of Gujarati background.Making his film debut in 1984, he mainly played supporting and villain roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2000 he has mostly played comic roles.- Family and early life :...
...Govardhan Das - Darshan JariwalaDarshan JariwalaDarshan Jariwala is a Gujarati film, television and stage actor. He won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Gandhi, My Father. He currently stars in the show Saas Bina Sasural which airs on Sony TV as Chhedilal Chaturvedi...
... - Jim BoevenJim BoevenJim Boeven is a German actor.He has worked in television and film, primarily in Germany, but has also worked in the United States and Canada. Jim Boeven first American feature Marching out of Time, directed by Anton Vassil started his international career. Since then, Boeven has starred and...
...Fritz - Suhasini MulaySuhasini MulaySuhasini Mulay is an Indian actress in Bollywood and Marathi films as well as television. She won National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1999, for her performance in Gulzar's film Hu Tu Tu.-Early life and education:...
... - Ferena WazeirFerena WazeirFerena Wazeir, born 25 July 1986, is a British Asian actress. She began her acting career in amateur theatre and came to prominence after she was captured by photographer Farock Chotia from India while on a holiday at the Pushkar fair in Rajasthan....
...Frenny
Music
1. Saajna2. Jeena Nahi
3. O Maahi Maahiya
4. Luteya Re
5. Kambakht Pyar Tadpaaye
6. Rasiya Re
7. Aaja Mora Piya
8. Aaj Nachke Dikhane Ka Mausam Hai
Release
The film was screened at 2008 The Times BFI London Film FestivalLondon Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
.