RK/RKAY: Innovation by Loss of Creative Control

Rajat Kapoor hailed as the “godfather of contemporary indie cinema” in India, is back with yet another quirky comedy-drama after his 2019 black comedy film, Kadakh. Right from his directorial debut Raghu Romeo in 2003, Rajat has been experimenting with novel concepts, wacky and unique storylines, idiosyncratic characters, in his films. If Mixed Doubles dealt with the practice of swinging among married couples, then Ankhon Dekhi explored the extreme consequences when a man vows to believe only what he can see. With his latest film RK/RKAY, Rajat has penned a deliciously bizarre screenplay straight out of Charlie Kaufman.

A Film within a Film

RK/RKAY is a crowd-funded film, written and directed by Rajat, who also plays a double role in it. This creative “film in a film” tells the tale of a writer-director RK (Rajat Kapoor) who has an uneasy feeling that his latest quaint film will somehow never successfully come to fruition. His worst nightmare comes true when he gets a disturbing phone call from the editing room. Somehow, Mahboob (also played by Rajat): the protagonist of RK’s film, who is destined to die at the end of the film, rebels against his destiny and runs out of the film.

He is not there anymore in the rushes, missing from the film negative as well. RK’s assistant finds him at a railway station and brings him to RK’s home. But Mahboob has no idea that he isn’t real and is merely a fictional character created by RK. RK and his team try to convince him to go back to the film so that RK can finish his film. However, Mahboob begins to immerse himself in the real life of RK, his wife, and two children; leading to a complicated situation.

Philosophy, Romance, and Humor

Rajat Kapoor smartly weaves metaphysical, existential themes along with lighthearted humor to make RK/RKAY a thought-provoking funny film. The character of Mahboob who defies his creator RK serves as a metaphor for the individuality we seek in our lives. Whereas RK’s desire to rein in the actions of Mahboob represents the inherent possessive nature asserted by us over our “loved” ones. The film makes us come face to face with our hypocrisy in wanting freedom for ourselves but unwillingness to forego control over people associated with us. 

Frequent collaborator Ranvir Shorey who plays the villain KN Singh in RK’s film delivers much of the comic punch through his eccentric character. Mallika Sherawat does justice to her role of a high-maintenance actress who throws starry tantrums on RK’s assistants. In RK’s film, she plays Gulabo, the love interest of Mahboob. Mallika, known more for her bold and steamy roles, essays the romantic role of a love-torn Gulabo to perfection. The actress recently took to her Twitter handle to share her favorite song from the film. It’s a lovely ballad that plays during the quiet romantic moments involving Gulabo. The highlight performance of RK/RKAY is unarguably Rajat Kapoor‘s seamless alternation between the chirpy Urdu-blabbering Mahboob and his pensive creator RK.

Conclusion

RK/RKAY is a highly innovative and well-crafted film that demonstrates Rajat Kapoor‘s creativity, intellect, and mastery. This is a very personal film born out of deep reflection and introspection. He nudges us to question the illusory nature of human relationships and how replaceable we can be in the lives of our near and dear ones. By adorning serious philosophical questions with witty humor, Rajat serves us an entertaining film that is likely to be enjoyed by its consumers.

Who is your favorite indie filmmaker? Share your thoughts in the comments.     

RK/RKAY opens In-Theaters & Virtual Cinemas in the US and Canada on May 14th

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