`Raajneeti’ could have been the film of the year. It had the potential, and the actors, but it comes together only intermittently. This is not the Prakash Jha who has made some of the most politically resonant films in Hindi cinema.

The film starts off aggressive, turns into a game of toppling pawns, and ends up a farce as Kunti meets Karan and the audience dissolves into giggles. Jha’s films, while often flawed nearing the end, usually provide some sort of grass root insight; this one pretty much dares you to take it seriously. Don’t even try.

This almost 3-hour affair doesn’t slacken but doesn’t keep you waiting for the next move either. Because somehow there’s a foregone conclusion given the epic characters the film is based on.