Rebel Movie Review: A Fairly Engaging drama revolving around student politics
Rebel, which has G V Prakash Kumar playing the lead for the first time, also had powerful expectations following buzz generated by its political trailer. The success of this period political drama is uncertain given that Parliamentary elections are only a couple of months away.
Rated ‘U/A’ (Unrestricted Public Exhibitions, individuals below the age of 18 years to be accompanied by parents or guardian), Rebel is set in the 1980s. Kathir (GV Prakash Kumar), son of estate workers in Munnar, is an under-privileged boy who has been treated like a lesser citizen by the Keralites. His mum and dad and other villagers are put in a less privileged category, and Kathir knows the only way he and other Tamil boys can walk with their heads held high is by studying really well. He, along with other poor boys from the village, who are offered places under a quota, land themselves college admission in Palakkad Chittur College. Here, there are two student groups who run the college and mete out cruelty to Tamil boys in name of ragging. The KSQ (Kerala Students Union) and the SFY (Students Federation of India) who have been ruling the college for years. The only Keralite student who has a soft spot for Kathir is Sarah (Mamitha Baiju), daughter of a highly influential politician. In a gruesome manner, Selvaraj (Aditya Bhaskar), one of the boys, is pumped with bullets and killed by Antony (Venkatish) and his mates. Using his political contacts, the murder case is closed as an accident. This incident yet again throws a Tamil boy’s life in jeopardy and Karthir decides along with other Tamils to float a new party Tamil Students Party (TSP) and contest college elections. (This first-ever political party started by the underprivileged Tamil boys in a Kerala college parties Kathir against Sarah, with the boy’s very life at stake.) That’s what Rebel is all about.
G V Prakash Kumar, who plays the ordinary village boy gone leader of his student group, can’t be faulted for his rage. He excels in the romance scenes opposite Mamitha just as much as he excels at crying his eyes out for the death of his best friend. Mamitha Baiju, the toast of South Indian fans as ‘Premalu’ went on to become a huge hit, is cute and nimble, and can’t be faulted for not going beyond her call of dutys anyone can’t do much more than whatve been dealt. But Adithya and Venkatish are not to be missed.
All that works best in Rebel is that the screenplay is mostly engaging and the emotional scenes work well. There are two fine extended scenes that involve the brutality of the murder of Adithya. And a couple of innovative scenes, like the gimmicky tricks that GVP and his boys use for campaigning for their party.
The only real disappointment of ‘Rebel’ is its sporadic shot-takes and hero worship shots that feel out of place; the film needed to be raw throughout, but it doesn’t do so, instead veering into the commercial feel that works against it.
Arun Radhakrishnan’s cinematography and Yuvraj’s art direction deserve accolades. Songs by GV Prakash and Sidhukumar and the back ground score by Ofro is ordinary, except for the jarring theme music. .K.E. Gnanavelraja has made the film under his home production Studio Green Banner. The youngster debutante Nikesh has dared to come with a sensitive political movie based on a true story. He has succeeded to an extent. If he improves with his writing, he could well hit the bull’s eye with the same target again.
