Krian Pictures Ltd.’s Laal Rang (UA) is the story of the blood mafia.
Shankar Malik (Randeep Hooda) is studying to be a medical laboratory technician. He is a golden-hearted man who helps the needy but in his quest to get rich quickly, he gets into the business of illegal trading of blood. Rajesh Dhiman (Akshay Oberoi) is also studying with Shankar and he soon joins the latter in the illegal business. Since it is a well-organised business, there are many others involved in the racket.
Rajesh falls in love with co-student Poonam Sharma (Pia Bajpai) who is unaware of his involvement in the illegal trade. To make fast money, the blood traffickers also take blood from willing donors without following basic medical rules. One such rash donor, Mithunia (Sanjay Kumar Sah), dies suddenly one day. Police officer Gajraj Singh (Rajniesh Duggal) smells a rat and feels that Mithunia’s sudden death could lead him to the blood-trading scamsters.
Gajraj Singh and his men get lucky when they arrest Rajesh Dhiman one day. But Shankar Malik surrenders to the police and thereby saves Rajesh and all the others involved in the illegal trade. Shankar had had a heartbreak when Rashi (Meenakshi Dixit) had walked out on him due to his involvement with the blood mafia. He doesn’t want Rajesh to have a similar breakup. What happens finally?
Syed Ahmad Afzal and Pankaj Matta have penned an unusual story about the blood mafia, which is interesting in parts. But, by its very nature, so much talk and so many scenes of blood put off the ladies audience. The duo’s screenplay is fairly interesting because it is quite different from what one has seen in the past. However, the screenplay moves at a slow pace. The light moments in the screenplay are the best part of the drama and evoke laughter several times. But, overall, the visuals in the film are not at all happy ones as it is not exciting to see people carrying on the business of buying and selling blood in the black market. Syed Ahmad Afzal and Pankaj Matta’s dialogues, many of them in Haryanvi, are good and entertaining.
Randeep Hooda does a marvellous job as Shankar Malik. He gets into the skin of the character and lives every moment of it. His acting is a major high point of the film. Akshay Oberoi looks handsome and acts quite well. Pia Bajpai is very endearing with her free-spirited performance in her debut role. Her weird English is a good source of comedy. Meenakshi Dixit is natural as Rashi. Rajniesh Duggal leaves his mark as police officer Gajraj Singh. Rajendra Sethi is very natural as Pushpendra. Shreya Narayan has her moments in the role of Neelam Kumari. Ashutosh Kaushik (as Vishnu) is good. Kumar Saurabh stands out as Shani Baba. Jaihind Kumar (as Harnaam), Sanjay Kumar Sah (as Mithunia), Kulvinder Bakshish (as Naresh), Pall Singh (as Prakash), Kimti Anand (as Rajesh Dhiman’s father), Gauri Chakraborty (as Rajesh Dhiman’s mother), Pankaj Matta (as Vijay), Rehan Kidwai (as Dr. Sabharwal), Rajat Bhalla (as Poonam’s father), Vinti Malhotra (as Poonam’s mother) and the rest lend fair support.
Syed Ahmad Afzal’s direction is of a good standard. Music (by Mathias Duplessy, Vipin Patwa and Shiraz Uppal) is quite alright. Lyrics (Pandit Mange Ram Panchi, Kausar Munir, Dushyant, Shakeel Sohail and Vikas Kumar) are okay. Firoz A. Khan’s choreography is functional. Background music (by Mathias Duplessy) is reasonably effective. Dhirendra Shukla’s camerawork is of a good standard. Abdul Salaam Ansari’s action scenes are okay. Vintee Bansal’s production designing is realistic. Shounok Ghosh’s editing is alright.
On the whole, Laal Rang is a well-made film with some fine performances but its box-office prospects are very bleak because the subject is dry and morose and it lacks universal appeal.