Introduction:

A Novel Approach to Fun, Family, and Firearms:We’ve seen bashful wives reluctantly telling their husbands they were pregnant since the days of black-and-white movies. Smiles and hugs follow blushing eyes, a shy manner, and well-known phrases like “Now, I’ll have to eat for two” or the blunt “There’s a new addition to the family on the way.” “Bring me the liver of the wild boar you’re hunting,” the vivacious Sicily says to her husband Avran in Aashiq Abu’s hilarious Rifle Club. I’ve heard pregnant women benefit from it.

Characters like this live in the universe that Suhas, Dileesh Karunakaran, and Shyam Pushkaran have created—a world in which the strange seems completely normal. They may seem like a gun-wielding Addams Family to outsiders, but their eccentricities make perfect sense in their independent world.

Daya Nand, a dangerous guns dealer and Mangalore bar owner portrayed by Anurag Kashyap, provides the first indication of violence in the movie. As he closes a case of automatic guns, he hurts himself. Meanwhile, a clay shooting session serves as a harmless introduction to firearms for the members of the Rifle Club. The film’s dark humor stems from the sharp contrast between one group’s planned violence and the other’s impetuous behavior. After a vicious gunfight, Sena Hegde’s character from Daya Nand’s camp remarks, “They’re not normal people.”

Actually, none of the characters in the movie are “normal.” Would a grandmother claim to be the club’s “best shooter” after providing food for her grandchildren? Would a distraught father show up for a shootout with nothing but boxers, a yellow jacket, and his belly bared? Would two sisters-in-law join this dysfunctional family to quarrel about who gets to shoot at one assailant while telling the other to choose a different target, rather than to form a bond?

However, Rifle Club’s literature makes sure we accept these oddities. Since we all enjoy a little defiance, we practically cheer for them.

A Movie Driven by Adventure and Oddness

Rifle Club’s 100-minute duration is essentially a protracted shootout that lasts more than an hour. But it starts out lightheartedly with a club song-and-dance routine that turns into a fight with kicks, slaps, and a toppled garbage can. You can see that a certain window will be important later because of Aashiq’s framing, but the resolution still manages to catch you off guard.

Throughout the movie, this pattern is repeated, skillfully fusing humor with action. The protagonist’s transformation from romantic lead to rifle expert and action star is also the subject of a delightful subplot. The ending joke is unexpected and provides a pleasant twist, even though the hero’s redemptive arc is obvious.

A Group Victory

Rifle Club is a lot like Varathan on steroids. It stands out since it doesn’t depend on a star to carry the movie. Each character is as dynamic as the explosive scenes, and the team effectively surprises the audience by eschewing traditional assumptions.

The actors should be commended for choosing a narrative that emphasizes group achievement above individual brilliance. Anurag Kashyap and Dileesh Pothan play more important parts, yet each performer is as brilliant as a flash grenade in their own right.

Vani Viswanath reminds us that a person’s capacity to use a weapon is determined by their courage rather than their gender. A treasure trove of antique weapons kept in a vault named Tijori, an allusion to Tipu Sultan, the British, and historical rarities, is my favorite part of Dileesh’s clever double entendres that bring down the house.

Though they may not always be flawless, even the simplest sequences have a profound effect.

Rifle Club is a crazy, thrilling trip that celebrates anarchy and defies expectations. This film demonstrates that unorthodox narrative can have a profound impact with its incisive language, colorful characters, and thrilling action.

Review of the film Rifle Club:

An Exciting Adventure in the Wild West

The movie, which revolves on a club surrounded by a forest, has a “wild, wild western” feel and is set in the Western Ghats. Although lawlessness is the norm, chaos is not encouraged. It eschews rationality and legality issues in favor of immersing viewers in its wild occurrences without external interruptions.

Rex Vijayan’s psychedelic soundtrack and Aashiq Abu’s masterful directing are responsible for the stylized portrayal of violence and the captivating characters. Intense, close-quarters firefight scenes, so skillfully created that you can practically feel the splinters of wood, shards of glass, and sprays of blood, perfectly balance the broad scenery. Rifle Club is unique in that none of its gory violence comes across as grotesque. The conversations maintain a light and breezy tone in spite of the mayhem.

An Ordered Chaos

The reason Rifle Club doesn’t have spectacular performances isn’t because the performers aren’t talented, but rather because the director has kept everything in check. The performances are subtle and devoid of superfluous flamboyance, with the exception of Anurag Kashyap and Hanumankind. These actors’ restrained comedy is excellent, and the club members’ nuanced personalities are as impressive.

Some of the best actors in Malayalam cinema today are in the cast, which includes Vani Viswanath, Darshana Rajendran, Surabhi Lakshmi, Unnimaya Prasad, Suresh Krishna, Vineeth Kumar, Sena Hegde, Vishnu Agasthya, and Vijayaraghavan. Like parts in a complicated puzzle that Aashiq and his colleagues have developed, each of them plays a certain role. The film’s artistic genius is demonstrated by the closing picture, which looks like a violent Renaissance masterpiece when everything is put together.

This Rifle Club has straightforward rules:

We discuss Rifle Club.
At Rifle Club, we had a great time.

Aashiq Abu is the director.
Cast: Vijayaraghavan, Darshana Rajendran, Unnimaya Prasad, Anurag Kashyap, and Dileesh Pothan
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Reactions of the Audience:

Reviews of the December 19 release of the survival drama Rifle Club have been overwhelmingly positive on X (previously Twitter). With outstanding performances from debut rapper Hanumankind, Dileesh Pothan, Vani Viswanath, Anurag Kashyap, and Vijayaraghavan, the movie has gained a lot of attention.

The plot, script, and storytelling of X are being praised by its fans. “Aashiq Abu is back with a bang!” one person said. Each cast member delivered exceptional performances. Rifle Club, a peculiar action show full of clever one-liners, was a delight in and of itself.

Another admirer commended the film’s technical mastery:

RifleClub: An exceptional technical team and an authentic theater experience.”. Rex Vijayan makes a triumphant return, while Aashiq Abu’s cinematography is superb. A sparse plot was given life by Pothan and Vani in the most fashionable way imaginable. Aashiq Abu has returned, and in a big way.

Social media reviews highlight Rifle Club’s captivating experience, making it an action-packed show that’s perfect for the Christmas season.

Club for Rifles

Rifle Club, which was directed by Aashiq Abu, chronicles the lives of hunters who use their abilities to survive in a world where only the strongest survive. The story transports you to a world where firearms are the only thing that define people’s lives, complete with armed men and wild boars zipping from the forest to a bungalow and dinner conversations full of hunting stories and oblique praise. Aashiq Abu’s Rifle Club takes place in this closed-off society with rigid standards of honor, where it is normal to make fun of other people’s incapacity. Remarkably, the majority of the characters are related.

Shahjahan (Vineeth Kumar), a movie actor keen to abandon his romantic persona and star in a film about hunting and shooting—a hot trend in the early 1990s following the release of Mrigayaa—enters this realm of “hunter minds.” In addition to the audience, Shahjahan is pursued by a couple who have enraged Dayanand (Anurag Kashyap), a prominent arms dealer from Mangalore.

Highlight of IFFK 2024: “Appuram” delves into a woman’s complex psychological challenges.

The rest of the action takes place at the Rifle Club, which is tucked away in the Western Ghats, and it’s easy to guess how things will turn out right from the start. The directors appear to be conscious of this, and in order to advance the plot, they employ exciting action choreography, strategically placed heart-pounding scenes, and lively interactions between a wide variety of people.

Club for Rifles (Malayalam)

Aashiq Abu is the director.
Cast: Hanumankind, Dileesh Pothan, Anurag Kashyap, Vani Viswanath, and Darshana Rajendran
Duration: 114 minutes

Plot: A brutal standoff breaks out when a notorious guns dealer and his gang arrive at the Rifle Club to confront a couple who have wronged him.

Highlights:

A sharpshooter riding a motorcycle through the bungalow hallways or the whole family standing still as a violent gang lead by Bheera (Hanumankind) wreaks havoc are just two examples of the absolutely amazing action set pieces. It also stands out for its clever remake of a VHS wedding film that features Sicily (Unnimaya Prasad) and Club Secretary Avaran (Dileesh Pothan).

Rex Vijayan’s music enhances the film’s depth, and Aashiq Abu, who also handled cinematography, produces some breathtaking shots.

With Suhas, Dileesh Karunakaran, and Shyam Pushkaran on the writing team, the movie promises to be a powerful narrative. The picture is unable to fully hide a slight hollowness at its core, despite its elegant execution and quick-paced action. Nevertheless, it maintains interest through deft switching between parallel situations.
The antagonist and club members’ dialogue exchange at the climax may be its weakest point; although it builds suspensefully, the final confrontation, which includes allusions to Uzis and Mexican standoffs, feels dated and falls flat. The absence of a dynamic change in tone during the climax is a lost chance, and while some of the large cast members excel, others feel underutilized despite their talent.
Performance at the Box Office:

Positive remarks have been given to Aashiq Abu’s Rifle Club since it began. According to Saknilk, the movie made ₹89 lakh on its first day of release. Vani Viswanath and Dileesh Pothan both give noteworthy performances in the movie. The film, which was written by Shyam Pushkaran, Suhas, and Dileesh Karunakaran, has won accolades for its action scenes and dialogue that are evocative of Tarantino’s approach.

ETimes praised the film’s captivating action and narrative, awarding it a 3.5-star rating.

According to the official trailer and first reviews, Rifle Club is expected to draw more audiences in the days ahead, solidifying Aashiq Abu’s triumphant comeback to the action genre.
“Rifle Club” hit the big screens on Thursday, December 19, and early reviews have praised Aashiq Abu’s brilliant direction, the action sequences, and the witty one-liners. Suhas, Dileesh Karunakaran, and Shyam Pushkaran wrote the screenplay for the movie.

With outstanding performances in their individual characters, the film’s ensemble cast includes Anurag Kashyap, Hanumankind, Dileesh Pothan, Darshana Rajendran, Vani Viswanath, Vineeth Kumar, and several others. Despite having a straightforward plot, the film has received a great deal of praise from viewers thanks to its Amal Neerad and Quentin Tarantino-inspired aesthetic.

“The film essentially operates as an elevator-pitch narrative, with the writers masterfully shifting the tempo between serene and intense moments, particularly in the first half,” notes ETimes wrote in its review, giving the picture a respectable 3.5 out of 5. Even though there is a minor slowness in the second half, the audience is still interested in the story. Furthermore, the filmmakers and authors effectively highlight the fact that the glitzy younger characters only make up a lesser portion of the narrative, while the film is handled elegantly by elder performers like Dileesh, Vijayaraghavan, Vani Viswanath, and others.

Bheera phones his father as soon as he walks in and tells him it’s just “a club run by some old men.” However, as viewers, we understand that these elderly guys have lived fulfilling lives and will not tolerate bullshit from anyone.*

Conclusion:

To sum up, Rifle Club is a cinematic extravaganza that daringly combines humor, action, and quirkiness into a singular narrative fabric. By skillfully delivering a story that defies traditional storytelling, Aashiq Abu and his creative team transport audiences to a chaotic yet unified universe where unusual individuals flourish. The film’s captivating appeal is enhanced by its superb ensemble cast, incisive language, and painstakingly designed action scenes. Despite its flaws, Rifle Club enthralls audiences with its lively energy, creative storytelling, and unreserved acceptance of its eccentricities, leaving viewers delighted and enthralled by this bold filmmaking endeavor.