Revisiting Prabhu Deva's 2012 action drama film 'Rowdy Rathore'
Prabhu Deva's 2012 action drama masala film Rowdy Rathore is considered one of his most successful commercial ventures to this day. The film lives on in the hearts of fans due to its massy elements, soundtrack, and lead actor Akshay Kumar's dual role. It co-starred Sonakshi Sinha, Nassar, and Yashpal Sharma, among others. On director-choreographer-actor Deva's 50th birthday, we revisit this film.
What was the movie all about?
Rowdy Rathore was the Hindi remake of SS Rajamouli's Vikramarkudu (2006) starring Ravi Teja. IMDb describes the plot as, "A con man uncovers a deadly secret and must save his lady love, the small-town locals, and the little girl who insists she's his daughter, from the mob." The conman is Shiva (Kumar), while the daughter belongs to Vikram, his lookalike (also played by Kumar).
Dance, action, romance, fights—the film had everything
A factor that worked heavily in the film's favor was that it was moist with all the necessary elements of a mass masala entertainer: it had emotion, dance, action, revenge, music—everything one expects out of Hindi masala movies. In fact, its posters were also redolent of '80-'90s movies' action films and Kumar's raw portrayal of a cop on a mission clicked with the audience.
Kumar's dual role was the film's USP
Reportedly, Kumar has played the role of a cop 17 times in his career, the most recent examples being Sooryavanshi and Cuttputlli. However, here, not only did he play a dutiful cop, but also the polar opposite: a small-time Mumbai-based thief. However, the common denominator between both the characters was bravery, courage, and selflessness, and Kumar infused life into both these characters.
The credit also goes to Sajid-Wajid's evergreen soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Sajid-Wajid and the songs have stood the test of time even though it's been over a decade since the movie was released. Be it Kumar Sanu-Shreya Ghoshal's Chamak Challo or Javed Ali-Ghoshal's Tera Ishq Bada Teekha, the songs immediately transported the listeners back to the '90s. And, who can forget the evergreen Chinta Ta Ta, crooned by Mika Singh?
