Rasikan Review

One expects box-office fireworks whenever superstar Dileep and director Lal Jose unite, but the talented "Meesa Madhavan" duo has partially, only partially, succeeded in recreating the magic this time around.

If "Meesa Madhavan" was a microcosmic world in a rural setting, "Rasikan" tries to capture the same feel in a city slum.

All the ingredients including golden-hearted poor people, the deceiving rich, a treacherous beggar and an aspiring unemployed man are here as well, but the film is only an attempt at the mass entertainer its predecessor was.

The story of 'Rasikan' revolves around Sivankutty (Dileep), a small-time guy who makes a living by doing petty jobs like sticking film posters and selling cinema tickets in black -- a characterisation that could possibly have been inspired by Aamir Khan's role in Ram Gopal Varma's "Rangeela".

Nevertheless, he has been intelligently surrounded by a slew of characters and an entirely indigenous milieu by the scriptwriter and the director.

An ardent fan of megastar Mohanlal, Sivankutty is seen constantly seeking to establish the superhuman qualities of Mohanlal and at the same time take pot shots at the Mohanlal's rival Mammootty.

A major portion of the first half of the movie is rollickingly fast-paced and entertaining.

But the film loses steam as we near the interval, and the climax, to put it mildly, is an utter disappointment.

Dileep gives a credible performance, his cropped hairstyle and stubble giving him the looks of a genuine simpleton with a strong physique.

He receives strong support from two new leading ladies, Samvratha Sunil and Haripriya. And Siddharth, shown as a well-wisher and friend, is noteworthy.

But the same cannot be said about veteran Sukumari who was wasted in a typical mother's role. So was Biju Menon who was cast as a stereotypical police inspector.

Journalist-turned-scriptwriter V.G. Murlikrishnan (son of actor Gopi) tried something novel by making his story about a film buff, but he was not able to avoid the potholes of predictability in his maiden endeavour.

The music by Vidyasagar does not rise above the average.