'Raavan' stars Bollywood's Brangelina

The Brad and Angelina of Bollywood, Abhishek Bachchan and wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, are usually as polished as topaz, whether in romantic musicals or jet-set capers. Seeing them grimy and gritty in a brutal psychological drama set far from civilization is a savvy stretch, casting them both in a fresh light - one that, combined with director/co-writer Mani Ratnam's primal story of man vs. man, could generate a crossover appeal for non-Indian audiences.

Shot in shades of darkness punctuated by swirling nature "Raavan" (Hindi for "villain") focuses on an equally swirling hunter-hunted relationship between a mythical rain forest tribal leader, the possibly sociopathic Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) and the stoic, authoritative, yet possibly obsessed police inspector, Dev Pratap Sharma (the single-name Vikram, 2004 Best Actor winner of India's Oscar-equivalent, the National Film Award).

The savage Beera - whose followers set fire to policemen tied to stakes right at the film's opening - kidnaps Sharma's new wife, Ragini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), for reasons that slowly unfold as his captive, with her own will-of-steel facade, stays alive despite Beera's intent to kill her. There's no Stockholm syndrome, no romance - just a gradual understanding in a story that never goes for the obvious.