Simply put, Main Aur Charles is a chor-police saga. The infamous ‘bikini killer’ Charles Sobhraj’s chutzpah being challenged by a no-nonsense top cop Amod Kanth. The fact that we all know about this equal parts French-Vietnamese-Indian con artist and murderer is probably the biggest challenge that director Prawaal Raman has to contend with. How do you engage people with a story about a man whose exploits have already become part of folklore? Well, from the way this 2-hour film has panned out, looks like he managed quite well.
The main reason, of course, is Randeep Hooda. Not only does he look like Charles Sobhraj, but he’s also nailed the smile, charisma and style we have come to associate with the man. Not to forget the French accent he so convincingly pulls off!
Even when the narrative flounders for a bit in the first half, it’s Randeep Hooda who helps us sail through troubled waters. This sluggish pace picks up post-interval and that’s when the brilliance of Adil Hussain shines through. We find ourselves under a spell, unable to fight the irresistible charm of Randeep Hooda as Charles. And yet, we’re compelled to acknowledge the sinister side of his personality thanks to some straight talking by Adil Hussain as Amod Kanth. It’s the same struggle we share with the women in the film like Mandana Karimi, now a household name thanks to Bigg Boss, who is one of the many conquests of Sobhraj.
Richa Chadda as Mira, a law student madly in love with the criminal (though thoroughly under-used in the film) does a brilliant job of highlighting the magnetic pull that Sobhraj possesses. Also, the beautifully conjured up sepia-toned world of the 70s and 80s with its hippie culture complete with bell bottoms and disco music plays a major role in pulling us into a world where we must all surrender to the fascinating seductiveness of its central character. Or like Adil Hussain’s on-screen wife, Tisca Chopra, at least obsess about it!
The film goes to great lengths to highlight the devious, brutal and almost hypnotic hold that Charles Sobhraj has over any and everyone who comes in contact with him. Yet, quite unwittingly, it glorifies him for the very same reasons – making him look alluring in the way only films can by romanticizing crime. There are lots of close-ups of Hooda smoking or flashing his typical self-assured smirk, which, despite looking tantalizingly good, runs the risk of coming across as too gimmicky, especially since there is a serious dearth of detailing how exactly Sobhraj entices his victims so effortlessly.
A better first half would probably have made Main Aur Charles a stronger film, but it is still extremely watchable. Go for it for Randeep Hooda and Adil Hussain’s jugalbandi and be prepared to see style trump content.
I’ll go with 3 AND A HALF QUINTS OUT OF 5.
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