Rang Rasiya

"Rang Rasiya is not a consistent film, but one that tells a story of a pioneering artist and visionary, a story decidedly worth telling.."

"It feels like a choppy costume drama marred by false notes and static 'acting'...Varma deserves a deeper, more layered film."

"If you love art and cinema, and cinema as art, then don't miss this one. The best film of the year."

"Rang Rasiya is a colourful triumph, director Ketan Mehta meriting applause for his portrait of painter Raja Ravi Varma, skillfully blending a biopic, a period film, a love story and a social critique, within a tight frame."

"Smeared in color, vibrancy and sensuality, Rang Rasiya revels in its operatic beauty and narrates a liberating tale of love, passion and freedom of vision. Ketan Mehta brings out the best from its actors Randeep and Nandana; especially the latter who unleashes on screen much beyond her sublime beauty, the vulnerability of her character. The inspirational story tells an uninhibited tale of a man who will always remain eternal through his art."

"If you love art and cinema, and cinema as art, then don't miss this one."

"Rang Rasiya is much more than just a period film. It's a statement on behalf of people who reject intolerance and are continuously striving for a new India which will give space to free voice. It's a piece of art."

"Irrespective of any fault Rang Rasiya is a piece of cinema you could watch. This one will stand as one of the most deserving biopics in an industry which is suddenly trying to make films on just about anyone. Rang Rasiya is on a league of its own, meaningful and relevant a century after the man has gone."

"This film has been in the cans for several years, but given the timelessness of the story it tells and the crucial issues it addresses, it has lost none of its relevance. Rang Rasiya is as good a film as any you have, or will, see this year. Strongly recommended."

"Rang Rasiya is not a perfect film and not for everyone but for those who would like to know more about one of the best painters ever, this one will be worth your time."

"For choosing to tell the story of this extraordinary artist and for standing up for artistic freedom, Rang Rasiya is recommended. That it could have been a far better film, is another story."

"Watch it if you have a thing for history, to know how Dada Saheb Phalke played a prodigy to Raja Ravi Varma and of course for the aesthetically rich treatment of the plot."

"For those in the creative field and who love works of art, watching RANG RASIYA should definitely be on your 'to-do list' this weekend."

"The relevance of this movie then will be lost on no one in the audience. The relationship between art and morality (or the public and morality itself) has not been a linear one. We tend to go back and forth on this subject every few generations."

"It's these superfluous sex scenes and the appalling acting by the girls (except the delicate Feryna Wazheir playing Frenny) that just destroyed this otherwise interesting and smoothly told tale. By adding (because they really do seem lathered on top) these dispensable, obvious moments of lust, the film cheapens itself and stops feeling like an artistic A-grade take on the life of a world class artist that it should and could have been."

"...for the artistic and creative people who believe in freedom of expression but it surely won't woo the janta who are looking for entertainment and a getaway this weekend."

"The film's high point is seeing Ravi Varma's paintings. It establishes that the painter-artist's life is a powerful story that needs to be told by a better, more accomplished director and actors."

"Despite all its flaws, it is relevant even today. It has a message that humanity struggles to accept a lot of things, and the more open-minded we are – the more towards greatness we move as a race. But the message gets lost in the overly forced romance. Watch it to learn the story of a great artist, who is historically significant to the rise of Indian art. But there is little else to offer."

"I would still watch Rang Rasiya, for what it's trying to do. The hope is that as there are more and more bold themes, these creases will be ironed out to give us a wholesome, less self-aware film. Till then, this is a decent enough start."

"Although, Ketan Mehta's Rang Rasiya isn't a perfect ode to the great painter, it certainly deserves applause. Rang Rasiya is a bold film. It is a colorful portrait of love, passion and the dreams of an artist."

"Wish there was more subtlety of desire and less in-your-face lust and sex. However, Mehta deserves huge credit for tackling a subject of this kind — the sensitive issue of petty politics curbing freedom of art and expression has been dogging us for centuries and continues to do so."

"Ketan Mehta's Rang Rasiya-a period biopic of arguably India's most influential painter Raja Ravi Varma-will be remembered not for its subversive images and tacky craft, but for its counterintuitive storytelling."

"Rang Rasiya is a wasted opportunity for a layered portrait of a colourful and bold figure in Indian art."

"Rang Rasiya is too class-appealing to make any impact at the box-office. Flop."