Pluskylang Great Film overall

MamaGravity good back-story, and good acting

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

kaushal agrawal A great Indian movie reflecting how India restored her historical temple of culture and civilization, gods and goddesses, people and rulers. The movie is filmed a century backwards, and it captures the social elements which has been the main reason why the Indian history has not been fostered by its people so long.The central character, who is an independent painter, gets inspired with Indian goddesses via a lady he meets in a temple. His talent of painting is his life. Being a human, he can not live with his talents spirited away by new technology of cinematography. He quits painting but gets trapped by law for spreading nudity and false image of gods, in words of a famous community leader. Airs get cleared when he explains his intentions behind these paintings which prove to be an unforgettable contribution in bringing back the nation's history and culture.The movie is plotted in Kerala, a south Indian state and it holds a very nice illustration of people and families living there. Visual effects have been successful in rendering the lifestyle those people enjoy. The movie shows how gods in India descended from temples to homes and everywhere, how the third class of society got access to public worshiping. It reflects existence and functioning of social division of 'varnas' which was very prominent in India a century ago.The movie ties up with chronological events like revolts in late 19th century, formation of Indian National Congress, spread of plague etc. It also shows France introducing cinema to India, leading to the formation of Indian film industry by Dada Saheb Phalke, a constant side-role in disguise.Overall, a great movie with almost no flaws, successful in its goal of introducing the viewers to early Indian culture.

Alex Deleon Colors of Passion, original Hindi title "Rang Rasiya" Directed by Ketan Mehta - 2008, 2015Viewed at Innsbruck Film Festival, June 2015By Alex Farba DeleonThe Message of the movie is "Down with Artistic Freedom of Expression" --very timely in the year of the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris only six months ago, but the Medium is unfortunately weak. Rang Rasiya was actually made in 2008, and even premiered at Cannes Festival, but was not released in India, because of certain bold scenes. The film was finally given a theatrical release after six years in 2014.TRIVIA:This Indian film by a highly respected veteran director, Ketan Mehta, when completed five years ago in 2008 and revealed at the River to River Indian Film festival in Italy at that time, but was quickly banned from circulation in India and shelved until now. The reason for the ban at the time was not for political reasons but rather because Mehta dared to tweak the long standing Indian taboo against female nudity and mouth to mouth osculation on screen -- involving actress Nandana Sen, the daughter of an Indian Nobel Prize winner, no less! That restriction has now been openly challenged in a number of other films since, so a somewhat modified version of Rang Rasiya has been approved for general release. At Innsbruck two versions were actually shown, a full length original director's cut, and the somewhat trimmed and shortened version currently on release. Lead actress Nandana Sen, an official guest of the festival, was on hand to introduce the film and field audience questions at both screenings.Basically Rang Rasiya is a classic biopic focusing on the life of 19th century Indian Painter Raja Ravi Varma, who was and is India's most famous painter, contemporary with the French Impressionists, but who became quite a controversial figure because he painted the gods and goddesses of Indian tradition as down to earth humans, often partially nude in erotic compositions. So compelling was his painterly skill that many people worshiped his tableaux on their knees seeing them as divinely inspired sacred iconography. At one point Varma was arrested and put on trial for offending public decency but eventually acquitted by a sympathetic judge and jury. Director Mehta has made a handsomely crafted picture rich in color, period detail, and voluptuous imagery, but strangely lacking in passion. One big problem is that lead actor Randeep Hooda is too macho-handsome and 21st century contempo to convince as a sensitive 19th century artist from the Dravidian south. Which is not to say that he doesn't give what the script asks of him -- just that he was the wrong man for the job -- a tricky case of miscasting probably aimed at attracting the mass audience to a touchy subject. What comes out is a preachy dissertation on censorship of sexiness rather than a moving condemnation of artistic repression in general.Because of the surface glossiness and compromises made in order to reach the unwashed masses the sincerely intended message(s) become muddled in a colorful but dispassionate biopic that could have and should have been much more gripping. Bottom Line, nice try but no Cigar ~ better luck next time

deepak_lucky Rang Rasiya or Colours of passion revolves around the life of the painter, Raja Ravi Verma of Travancore. The painter is married to a queen who does not have high regard for his work. But in places where art stinks is also the same where it finds inspiration.He finds his muse in Sugandha, Nandana Sen.While she's dressing up one morning, he asks her to stay and paints her. A new subject rekindles his interest and he begins to paint. But there are also protests from a section of society, which the film tries to depict. The accusations are mostly on grounds of 'immorality'. .The painter is frequently pulled into courts, where questions "Do you live at your wife's house and do you squander your time at the palace " are put to him. Nandana Sen has carved a role for herself in the film and Randeep Hooda has played an artist-who-is-not-dazed role to an applaud. Tom Alter, as an English judge, appeared as an understanding-British- judge. The film imbues the pre-independence setting at a local level pretty well on the screen. The moments where the painter and the muse make love, is so beautifully painted, is like aesthetic health to the audience.Rang Rasiya is an unorthodox treatment of an artist -fighting- society-and-back-theme in the celluloid world. And to treat it with the maturity of an Indian audience is quite a feat. The music grows well into the film. The film reminded me of "Frida" by the American Broadway and film director, Julie Taymor. A question arises, is it unfair to a woman, who's a subject to a painter, to feel neglected on account of the painter's interest in many subjects during his development process. Do go and experience colours of passion!

Vishnu Mishra I had never heard of Raja Ravi Varma, and after seeing the movie I got to know much about the lost literature and piece of history unknown to me. Since I was unaware of any fact regarding the character, hence I can't criticize on any point or misleading detail. And the speeches were really well delivered both by talented actor Randeep and gorgeous Nandana.I enjoyed the movie and I wish to see the standards of Indian cinema more alleviated and up to the mark. Because in recent years the quality of movies is degrading at a accelerating rate and this movie provided some of the healing aid to the classical cinema lovers.