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Love Hostel (2022)
Love hurts.....
LOVE HOSTEL
(Love hurts...)
Although the idea behind LOVE HOSTEL isn't new (ISHAQZAADE and NH 10 have walked this path before), the treatment definitely is.
BOBBY DEOL is making the most of the opportunities being afforded by OTT platforms. His no-nonsense, cold-blooded portrayal of a hired killer is proof that his act in AASHRAM (MX Player) was no flash in the pan. In fact, he is way better now than he was as a typical Bollywood hero in his youth. Of course, it helps that he is still very good looking and he still has a great physique. With hardly any lines here, he is exactly how his role meant him to be.
VIKRANT MASSEY is on a roll. He is loaded with talent and is so versatile! In LOVE HOSTEL, he continues his good work and never misses a beat.
SANYA MALHOTRA is a natural and can handle both rustic and sophisticated roles. VIKRANT and SANYA look great together and their chemistry is bang on.
RAJ ARJUN (the evil dad in SECRET SUPERSTAR) has been toiling away in the background for years. Here, he gets visibility as a righteous cop and makes his mark in the limited screen time. SWAROOPA GHOSH (of VICKY DONOR and PIKU fame) performs well as the stone-cold matriarch.
The movie is shot well in just a couple of locations. The settings are dark but unlike some other such movies in the past, they are not gloomy and dreary. The background score helps in lending the required heft and fear associated with BOBBY's character. There are no filmy dialogues and all the characters get the Jat accent absolutely right.
SHANKER RAMAN (who wrote and directed GURGAON) has done a swell job as writer and director. There are no unnecessary offshoots and like in GURGAON, SHANKER maintains his eye for detail.
There is a lot of blood (as required by the storyline) but surprisingly, the profanities have been kept in check. It is a straightforward, fast-paced story without any twists and turns and just when it threatens to become repetitive, it ends. At 1h 40min, it is a smartly edited film. The best part is that the movie doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. So, no preaching, no melodrama...just pure story backed by good performances.
So go ahead and check into this HOSTEL. You may not LOVE it but you will definitely not be disappointed.
- Sameer.
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019)
Great meal.....insipid dessert
We are living in times where it is getting increasingly possible (and necessary) to make movies on erstwhile unimaginable topics.
A young girl with conflicting thoughts about love grows up in a confused state of mind and ends up blaming herself for her feelings for the same sex. Needless to say that once the skeletons fall out of the closet, friends and family lose no time in expressing their displeasure and passing judgement.
SONAM KAPOOR is the perfect embodiment of 'much ado about hardly anything'. In the lead role here, she doesn't bring anything interesting to the table. It is sad because the role had enough scope to showcase one's talent (of course, provided one has it). The lack of depth in her emoting skills fails to move the audience and her dialogue delivery continues to remain flat.
RAJKUMAR RAO is so natural as the young man in whom SONAM unwittingly finds a true friend that you will probably not notice that he is acting. Given his talent, the role is hardly a challenge and as always, he makes good use of his inherent malleability to fit into his character perfectly.
ANIL KAPOOR effortlessly plays the rich businessman father who continues to nurture his dream of making it big as a chef. The role gives him ample opportunity to exhibit his versatility. Watch out for the scene where he is engrossed in cooking and RAJKUMAR (who mistakes him for a cook) asks him to sneak in a letter to SONAM. Sans dialogues, ANIL's expressions (more than) do the job as they swing from curiosity (for a stranger giving him a note for his daughter) to joy (when RAJKUMAR praises the aroma of his cooking) and back to curiosity/concern.
JUHI CHAWLA revels in her comic avatar and fits the bill as a Punjabi lady in the catering business who has her heart in acting. MADHUMALTI KAPOOR as SONAM's grandmother is great and some of her banter with ANIL (her son) begs for an encore.
SEEMA PAHWA (Badki from Hum Log) puts her comic skills to fantastic use without ever going overboard. BRIJENDRA KALA continues to excel with his signature style of subtly creating humour through unique expressions. REGINA CASSANDRA (from the Southern film industry) makes an impressive Bollywood debut as SONAM's love interest. She exudes sheer confidence and shines in her small part.
The first half is masterfully woven and peppered with funny lines. Sample this - ANIL's mom (who is always against him indulging in cooking) has this to say about men in the kitchen...."Banda tabhi kitchen mein jata hai, jab usay gas ka cylinder change karna hota hai!"
The soundtrack is pretty average. The title track is not bad but the Kumar Sanu original is so magical that you just can't concentrate on this new version. Also, the effervescent, pure beauty of MANISHA KOIRALA keeps popping up in the subconcious mind there by adding to the distraction.
Edited smartly, the movie is delightfully short at 120 minutes and there is no cheap/stale humour at any juncture. The part where SONAM shares her secret with RAJKUMAR is nicely done without any superfluous offshoots. In fact, till the interval, the light hearted flow of the narrative is smooth like a breeze.
Alas, as the movie progresses towards the end, it starts to go astray. The method adopted to break SONAM's news to the world is so simplistic.....it feels amateurish. It really is a pity because otherwise, the topic has been maturely handled and the message that children going through such confusion (of why they feel differently from others) need to be understood and accepted (as they are) by family and friends is apt and genuine.
If only films had an option of paying for pre and post interval separately, I would have asked you all to definitely see the first half. As for SONAM, she needs to quickly get her act together or when we see her we will be compelled to say - "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga.....ki iski aur ABHISHEK (Bachchan) ki kahaani kitni milti julti hai!" Ouch! Did I hear someone say 'Galat Jawab, Sameer ji'. 😉😁
- Sameer
Thugs of Hindostan (2018)
THUGS OF HINDOSTAN (The truth is out....AAMIR is human!)
Who would have ever thought that an AAMIR KHAN film will have issues with its script? But then, life is full of uncertainties, right? After starting nicely, the narrative soon goes around in circles with no surprises and hardly any interesting twists. The dialogues are good especially those between ZEESHAN AYYUB and AAMIR which induce laughter. The songs serve no purpose other than effectively breaking whatever little momentum the film manages to gather from time to time.
Yash Raj Films probably thought they had struck gold by bringing AMITABH and AAMIR together for the first time. But alas, the pairing is lacklustre. In fact, it is the chemistry between AAMIR and ZEESHAN AYYUB which turns out to be the highpoint of the film.
Director VIJAY KRISHNA ACHARYA tries his best but it seems he has bitten off more than he could chew. The running time at 164 minutes is way too long. In fact, it would have been a good idea to end the movie at the interval and release the second half as a sequel. The last song harks back to the Bollywood masala movies of the 80s and 90s which always had the customary climax group song/dance in the villain's lair. It is so cheesy, it is embarrassing to even watch.
THUGS OF HINDOSTAN works in bits and pieces but mostly, it is akin to those faulty Diwali rockets; the ones which (once lit) whiz off anywhere with scant sense of direction and control and fizzle out in the end. Ironically, its biggest draw i.e., AAMIR KHAN is also its biggest flaw because with AAMIR, one has got used to expect the unexpected....an engrossing, almost magical experience (courtesy his brand of meaningful yet entertaining cinema).
Now, we can overlook this one as an aberration but still, after coming out of the theatre, we can't help but feel THUGged (cheated)!
Tumbbad (2018)
TUMBBAD - When greed takes over....
TUMBBAD
(When greed takes over.....)
A movie that doesn't follow a beaten track and is a rich visual delight which transports you to a totally unexpected (yet engrossing) world is extremely rare to come by. If in recent Bollywood memory, there has been such a film, then......THIS IS IT !!
The story is about a mythical narrative concerning a small village called TUMBBAD in the interiors of Konkan in Maharashtra. When humans build a temple of a greedy god who has been cursed 'never to be worshipped'......the consequences are severe.
SOHUM SHAH has previously excelled in the critically acclaimed gems - Ship Of Theseus and Talvar. The soft spoken actor comes into his own in this masterful saga of deceit and greed. He grabs all the eyeballs for his impeccable portrayal of a Konkani Brahmin consumed by his insatiable (and ever increasing) hunger for gold. His facial expressions and mannerisms precisely capture the changes in his personality over a (rather) long period of 30 years. Although this offbeat role is unlikely to launch him into the 'happening league of stars', it will definitely give him the much needed visibility and well deserved acclaim.
MOHAMMAD SAMAD never misses a beat as SOHUM's young son who is eager to prove himself. The boy has enough spark to excel in future roles. ANITA DATE and RONJINI CHAKRABORTY deliver convincing performances as SOHUM's wife and mistress, respectively.
Movies which bank on visuals to enhance the storyline and to take it forward, obviously have to excel in the cinematography and creative designing departments. The same holds true for TUMBBAD. The perplexing yet visually exciting world created by the sets and the camera work has never been seen before (in Bollywood).
The green and muddy landscape awash in the incessant rain, the dark and crumbling ruins of ancient buildings, the costumes and vehicles of pre-independence era (including a most authentic looking rickety bus) and the small details like huge locks and gates (of a bygone era) deserve the highest level of appreciation. A pre-independence set of Pune city has been tastefully recreated and the rest of the shooting has been done in natural lighting at real locations.
Music by AJAY-ATUL (of Dhadak fame) and JESPER KYD (a Danish composer) is haunting and helps in keeping the viewer engaged. There dialogues attain the desired effect and are never superfluous. The script is alluring and is almost a living character of the film.
Debutant directors RAHI ANIL BARVE and ADESH PRASAD do a splendid job. Together, they spin a macabre tale with a surreal mix of fact and fantasy; topped with dollops of horror. Having said this, there are no creaking doors, howling winds or any of the staple horror stuff. In fact, even the demons (when shown) are slightly underwhelming. The director duo shows that the real horror is of the unknown and the unexpected. The stunning VFX never becomes overbearing. Without being preachy, the debilitating effects of human vices are used to drive home an oft repeated moral - Greed never pays.....
To feel the true essence of TUMBBAD, you can't remain on the fringes; you will have to surrender yourself totally to it. But the movie isn't without flaws. Despite being delightfully short at 104 minutes, there are portions where it drags a bit but the innovativeness and courage/clarity of vision easily outweighs the shortcomings. As the movie draws you in, the fear (faced by the protagonist) will feel eerily personal because the film cleverly mirrors the fears and faults we hide within ourselves.
One can gauge the literal anonymity of this film by the fact that a majority of people don't know that it has been released and even those who do are asking - What Tumbbad? Why Tumbbad? Who Sohum?....The answers to all these questions can be best answered by watching this flick on Big Screen only! And if you don't, you might repent having missed it (in theatres)......
The movie will remain with you long after you have come out of the hall and (like SOHUM who keeps returning to Tumbbad) will make your thoughts return.....return to TUMBBAD!
Sameer Singh Thapa
Andhadhun (2018)
ANDHADHUN....Go for it.....Blindly!
ANDHADHUN
(No Blind Spots....)
Making a gripping thriller is undoubtedly a task not everyone can prove equal to. Probably this is why we have very few gems in this genre (Johnny Gaddar, Drishyam...).
Inspired by a French short film, L'Accordeur (The Piano Tuner), this film is about an extremely talented pianist who is 'blind'. Everything seems to be going fine until he catches the fancy of a retired movie star who invites him to his house. How this visit sparks off a series of (hilariously) unfortunate events, is the fantastic story of ANDHADHUN.
AYUSHMAN KHURANA keeps it absolutely simple as the blind pianist and yet, he shines. He isn't exactly in the league of Rajkumar Rao but given the right role (which suits his uncomplicated style), he manages to do a decent job. Here, he displays the right mannerisms of a blind person and remains within the requirement of the role. This is probably the best performance of his career thus far.
RADHIKA APTE is hardly challenged by the role of AYUSHMAN's girlfriend and she goes about her task like the super performer she is; putting her big, expressive eyes and apt facial expressions to fantastic use.
TABU enacts the role of ANIL DHAWAN's wife effortlessly in her signature style of understated elegance. She swings from being innocent and loving to sly and sinister in the blink of an eye. Her character has great scope for black humour which she expertly brings to the fore.
ANIL DHAWAN plays himself; a yesteryear movie star enjoying his retirement. He seems to be totally enjoying his role and is a delight to watch. He really needs to be commended for being a sport to allow jokes at his expense. He is the surprise package of this flick.
ZAKIR HUSSAIN adds a straight-faced humourous angle to his seemingly one-track role of a doctor who is up to no good. ASHWINI KALSEKAR is at her loudest best in the role of a loving but violently possessive wife of a cop. Like always, she makes her presence felt even in a small role. MANAV VIJ plays the cop almost wordlessly; allowing his eyes to do all the emoting. The rest of the supporting actors sparkle in their small roles.
The offbeat script has been written with an eye for detail and never loses direction. The casting is so appropriate that the actors fit snugly into their respective places in the story. The dialogues are fresh and have been intelligently written with humour inconspicuously woven into the apparently grim nature of the narrative.
The soundtrack is genuinely different; primarily because of the use of the piano in songs as well as background score. The songs never seem out of place and the background music in some of the action sequences have a retro feel which adds to the novelty. 'Naina Da Kya Kasoor' and 'Laila Laila' by AMIT TRIVEDI are foot tapping, peppy numbers which will make you want to shake a leg. 'Woh Ladki' is a soft romantic song by ARIJIT and the title track by RAFTAAR is a fast, fun number.
SRIRAM RAGHAVAN has made quite a name for himself in the thriller genre; having already directed flicks like Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddaar and Badlapur. True to his style of film making, SRIRAM makes a fast-paced, engaging film which will keep you transfixed. ANIL DHAWAN's track in the plot is utilised to play snippets of old classics like Ye Jeevan Hai and Teri Galiyon Mein and this is so deftly done that without being obtrusive, it blends with the storyline.
The wit and situational humour evokes spontaneous laughter. Smartly edited, the film has a lot happening in every frame. Its worth can be gauged from the fact that despite you being aware of what has happened and how, the film manages to hold your attention till the very end.
ANDHADHUN is almost perfect (Gosh, it has been such a long time since I said this for a film!). So go ahead and grab a ticket. The director has dealt you such a good hand....you can safely play BLIND!
♠♥♦♣😎😎
Sameer
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)
MS Dhoni - A Decent Effort
My MS DHONI review
With so many great cricketers in our country, why choose Dhoni for a biopic? Well, he might not have the best technique or the best records but he has always been a natural. He is a gladiator, a smiling assassin, a cool headed general who is silently aggressive. True, he does not win all his gambles but he always dares and has been instrumental in changing the team's fortunes. It is his imperfection and iconic yet 'every-man' identity which has captured the imagination of a cricket crazy nation. Coupled with this is the fact, that his story from his very humble background when he was least interested in cricket to becoming one of the most popular faces in the sport is both interesting and awe-inspiring.
The first half is fresh and engrossing telling us about a young Dhoni's initiation into cricket as a boy, his simple life in a small, laid back town, how he started making a name for himself with friends and well wishers rallying around him, his missed opportunities, how he landed a job of a TTE in Railways (on the strength of his talent alone) and how he finally chucked the job to play full time cricket.
Sadly, the second half fails to sustain the momentum. One can clearly make out that the producers and Dhoni did not wish to court controversy when the names of senior players(suggested to be dropped by Dhoni) are muted in the conversation between Dhoni and the selectors. While some might say that it takes away the spice from the plot, personally, I am okay with it. A movie 'does not have' to be controversial to be good!
Having said that, not portraying any other major player, no changing room banter and no on field chatter are absolutely major flaws in the script. The slightly longer (than required) footage for both of Dhoni's love interests and the songs slow down the pace and distract the viewer. The ample use of real match clips with SUSHANT's face morphed on Dhoni's body is both good and bad. Good because it lends a certain air of authenticity to the script and Bad because beyond a certain point, it seems repetitive and documentary like.
SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT with his mild voice and average looks does not really fit into the conventional Bollywood hero mould but he manages to get by. Here as MS DHONI, he has essayed the role really well and this is by far his best performance. His unassuming dialogue delivery and controlled emotions are in tune with the character and he stays within the limits of his abilities. His well rehearsed accent doesn't sound fake and he has successfully replicated Dhoni's playing style, stance and mannerisms.
ANUPAM KHER can walk through such roles with his eyes closed. Needless to say, he does a good job as Dhoni's father but is so predictable that somehow he fails to excite.
RAJESH SHARMA follows up his wonderful performances in Ishqiya, Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Special 26 with another flawless act as Dhoni's first coach. KUMUD MISHRA delivers a swell performance close on the heels of his neat portrayal as Salman's coach in SULTAN. The actor who plays AK Ganguly, the Railways Boss (who is also a cricket enthusiast), is so much into his character that one cannot make out that he is acting. Both DISHA PATANI (as Dhoni's first girlfriend) and KIARA ADVANI (as Sakshi Dhoni) look pretty, do not overact and give fair performances.
The movie celebrates Dhoni's uplifting life story and the passion for the game without being in-your-face. It gives hope that even a small town boy can make it big given the talent and support (and timely luck, of course). The common man can identify with him because DHONI, the star, is 'Humanly' Superhuman. Had it not been for the flaws, the film could have been like Dhoni........calm and understated yet
..brutally effective.
The movie is definitely watchable. Even as I am writing this, the weekend box office collection is crossing 60 crores
Ab
(D)HONI ko kaun taal sakta hai !!
Sameer Singh Thapa
Neerja (2016)
An inspiration for all those who feel they can never be strong.
NEERJA is a no nonsense biopic with just the right mix of sentiments. Even though you know how the story ends, NEERJA still draws you in and engages you, not in the 'suspense thriller' kind of way but in the 'how on earth did she tackle this' kind of way.
To be very honest, I wasn't expecting much from Sonam because apart from KHOOBSURAT and RANJHANA, she has done little to excite viewers. In any case, over the past few years, she is known less as an actor and more as a fashionista (whatever that means)!
SONAM KAPOOR as Neerja Bhanot isn't outstanding but the story is so engrossing that it carries the viewer along. Normally Sonam has limited expressions and tends to be repetitive so I was pleasantly surprised to see that she has managed to salvage something for herself from this role. As a smart, happy go lucky air hostess, she fits the bill perfectly.....but it is in her 'post hijack' avatar that Sonam manages to hold her own. She successfully handles her transition from a state where she is 'absolutely scared' to one where she is 'still scared' but with borrowed strength from past experiences and realisation of job responsibility.
SHABANA AZMI is unbelievably natural. She immerses herself into the role and emerges as Neerja's mother, Rama Bhanot, displaying just the right amount of emotions. It is good she is shown uttering very few Punjabi words because somehow she doesn't look very convincing doing so. Her speech in the climax is controlled and very nicely delivered.
YOGENDRA TIKU as Neerja's father, Harish Bhanot, is as exceptional here as he was playing Kangana's Dad in QUEEN. SHEKHAR RAVJIANI as Neerja's love interest, Jaideep, has very little to do and his performance isn't anything to write home about.
RAM MADHVANI as director knows his art inside out. Here, he keeps it precise and never loses focus of his purpose. He deserves applause for keeping away from the temptation of making NEERJA a larger than life Bollywood heroine.
SAIWYN QUADRAS as scriptwriter has previously written MARY KOM which was good but had its flaws. Here however, he is on solid ground.
The songs have been written by Prasoon Joshi and as usual, he does a great job. Jeete Hain Chal is a motivational song in the genre of Yeh Honsla (DOR) and Kinare (QUEEN). Aisa Kyun Maa is a very difficult song sung beautifully by Sunidhi Chauhan. Aankhen Milayenge Dar Se will appeal to the youth. Gehra Ishq rendered by Shekhar Ravjiani, is a regular love song and thankfully for a change, we have someone other than Arijit Singh singing it.
A lot has been spoken and written about the set of PAN AM aircraft which was recreated for the movie. Well, it doesn't disappoint and has an ultra-real feel to it.
Neerja wasn't a weak and timid girl and neither was she strong and bold. She was a normal, everyday girl who rose to the occasion, crossed the threshold of fear and chose to be strong. So while showing courage under fire and standing up for what is right are the obvious lessons one can draw from Neerja's story, the other important lesson is that good parenting and unconditional family support will always stand one in good stead when the need arises. And therein lies the beauty of good cinema....when it fulfills its duty of conveying a strong social message along with entertainment.
Some are lamenting that a movie like this should have been made earlier but I say that it is even better that it has been made now
. at a time when the youth is desperately in need of inspiration.
It is good Sonam did this film close on the heels of Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo (PRDP) or we would have continued to think of her as SONUMB because NUMB is how we felt after viewing PRDP !!!!
Gulaab Gang (2014)
Madhuri has wasted this golden opportunity
When the opening credits started to roll, I was mighty impressed by the animated work in the background. However, half an hour later, I started to get this sinking feeling that "this animated work" would probably be the only thing impressive about the movie.
First things, first. When you make a realistic or "art type" film and that too based on/inspired by true events, the handicap faced is that most viewers are already aware of the topic and those who aren't have this knowledge thrust upon them by the untiring media. Therefore, the filmmaker has no choice but to stick to the basic storyline and extract extremely good performances from the star cast to be able to hold the viewers' attention and this is precisely where Gulab Gang fails miserably. Yes, even with two good box office bets of yesteryears – Madhuri Dixit & Juhi Chawla.
The script demanded dialogue delivery of typical Hindi belt. If that be the case, then casting Juhi as the villainous politician mouthing lines in desi accent defies all logic. Some Juhi fans will argue that she was a superstar of her time. Well, she was a star who was "part of" quite a few hit films but that doesn't necessarily mean that she was brilliant in all of them. Even when she was in her prime, she was at best above average, never path breaking. She was and will be best known for her liveliness, youthful charm and disarming smile which is why her being cast as a negative character created such a buzz but then as it turned out, the bee just buzzed, it lacked the sting! Juhi's crooked smiles and shifty glances were grossly overdone. She was trying so hard that it hurt. Can't villains and vamps speak normally? It is difficult to comprehend why Juhi was given such rustic dialogues when she was so ill at ease delivering them.
Coming to Madhuri Dixit, well, sadly for her fans even she couldn't do much to save her Gang. She too struggled with her vernacular skills albeit lesser than Juhi. Madhuri had the chance to make the most of this opportunity but she faltered. She is also let down by the template of the film. Just because Madhuri's name is synonymous with jhatkas and matkas, does it mean that post every action sequence, a song and dance routine is a must? Needless to say, the ill timed song and dance pieces distract the viewers from the core issue. That the songs were nothing to write home about, is a different story altogether.
The action sequences are well shot and some of the one liners are good but does portraying a woman as the protagonist necessarily mean that she copies what a male hero does best which is - utter seeti inducing dialogues and execute slow motion action stunts? In fact, the woman as the Hero can add absolutely new dimensions. Cases in point, Smita Patil in Mirch Masala, Meenakshi Sheshadri in Damini, Tabu in Chandani Bar, Vidya Balan in Kahaani and Madhuri herself in Mrityudand (arguably her best performance) and Lajja.
Another thing not understood is why it is a prerequisite even in a movie based on a serious/real topic to cast an actress with a beautiful face (even at the cost of acting). I mean Madhuri is (or was?) a good actress but wouldn't someone like Mita Vashisht with undeniably great acting skills but with unconventional good looks been a better choice? Add to it, her ability to convincingly look and sound rustic and she would have fitted the role to the T.
Cutting back to the actual movie, we have Madhuri (although staying in a remote, dusty, nondescript village) appearing on screen, looking as if she has just stepped out of a beauty parlour – flowing hair, tastefully styled and coloured, not to mention the flawless skin and eye makeup. Even the rest of the gang is dressed in designer cut blouses and fashionably pleated saris. And I am sure I espied an exquisitely manicured hand in the background. The only ones looking and sounding somewhere near real are Tannishtha Chatterjee (the talented "Brick Lane" actress), Divya Jagdale and Priyanka Bose. In fact, they are the only ones who manage to hold your attention. The climax seems to have been inspired by Total Siyappa because that is what it is – "totally siyappad!!"
A documentary based on the original gang titled GULABI GANG was (thankfully) released prior to this masala version and I have heard that it is extremely hard hitting. So I would say three cheers for Sampat Pal and her gang. As for Madhuri's Gulab Gang, I would say that this GULAB has too many thorns.
Queen (2013)
A very enjoyable ride
Sometimes a good role/script saves a movie and sometimes it is good acting. Thankfully, Queen is a happy mix of both. In one sentence, Queen is about the transformation of a girl who is interrupted to becoming one truly and totally uninterrupted.
Of the many things I would like to congratulate the director about, the foremost is CONTROL. He has a firm grip on all the proceedings. Had any character or situation been allowed to go out of control, then this movie would have ended up as another wannabe new age movie. The story moves from one situation to another with ease. The premise on which the movie is based is interesting and manages to take you along till the very end. Kangana has come into her own in the character of a typical Punjabi middle class girl. The director has gratefully chosen to show a normal Punju middle class family and not the over the top kind we normally see in Bollywood. Most things about this movie are believable. For example, Queen making Golgappas in France is okay because she is shown to be a home science student and also from a halwai family. Now we know that Bolly music is going places so a dance club playing a remix version of the old classic "Hunganma Ho Gaya" does not seem out of place. It is not like the standard Bollywood movies where the hero/heroine sings romantic Hindi songs and the foreigners not only dance in unison but also clap and nod their heads in such great appreciation that one would think their grandmothers came from Lajpat Nagar!
Rani/Queen is shown to be a simple girl but she is not totally naïve. She knows the ways of the modern world to some extent at least although there are occasions when she makes a fool of herself. Her dressing sense is plain but not stupid. There are no parallel stories and they did not need to be there. I loved the understated emotions. Initially, when she is dumped, she is a BECHAARI but she soon picks herself up and walks on. As she moves ahead in life she becomes stronger but there is no chest thumping feminism here. In fact, the feminist angle is dealt with very subtly avoiding the usual clichés.
Kangana's role has also brought her comic timing to the fore. She has acted like a normal girl and even danced like one. Her moves in the dance club and outside it seem absolutely spontaneous and hilarious. She has handled a variety of emotions and my personal favourite is when she meets Rajkumar Rao in the end. He is expecting her to accept his apology and behave as if nothing ever happened. Rani on her part, is relaxed and so super confident of herself that not only does she forgive him but also thanks him. No explanation is given for the 'Thanks' as it is obvious that she is grateful to him for helping her liberate herself. The entire scene is so quietly done without any spewing of venom, no references to bhartiya nari shakti and no long drawn conversation.
The songs are good and they gel well with the storyline. "O Gujariya" is already a rage. A word about the fringe actors. Without doubt, they have done a fabulous job. I would never have imagined Lisa Haydon doing justice to a role but she has and how! She has fitted perfectly into the part of a single mother who lives life on her own terms but is not unnecessarily loud. Her heavy accent is perfect for her part and I was wondering how a "supposedly established" actor like Katrina Kaif would have made a complete hash of it. The girl bonding between Kangana and Lisa is superb with just the right amount of camaraderie. In fact, when they part ways, you are left yearning for more. The bonding between Kangana and the three men (a Jap, a white & a black male) she shares rooms with is even better. The treatment of their relationship is so fine that one is relieved that the plot veers away from the most obvious outcome of "boy meets girl" situation in Hindi movies which is that they just have to have a romantic angle. So we have the white guy developing a soft corner for Kangna but that is where it ends. Rajkumar Yadav, now Rao, is a very talented boy and he has done his bit but Queen is so much absolutely about Kangna's character that he doesn't have much to do.
Now for the most important question – If the movie is so much fun, can you take your kids to watch it? Well, I am not aware of the official viewer rating but I guess it is U/A. I personally feel that other than the scenes in the adult toy shop and the pole dance club, there is nothing which is inappropriate for kids of today. So if you can execute the (tried and tested) trick of talking to your kids right at the moment when the 'scene' starts, I think you will manage fine. So you have to take the call on this.
Whether Kangna is consistent in the future remains to be seen but Queen could well be her defining role. So for now, let us raise a toast to Kangna QUEEN Ranaut.